Air Heads
by 5seedapple
Summary: Idiots being idiots who love each other. What will it take for them to realize that they aren't alone in their feelings? What happens after that?
1. Chapter 1

*)O(* So here is my try at an OT3. I hope you guys like it. I think this trio is underrated and under-written. There's, like, less than 100 stories for it right now on AO3. I'm trying to help fix that. Third year setting. A bit of them being stupid. Eventually lots of them being together. *)O(* Disclaimer bullshit: This applies to every chapter of this story. I own nothing, am making no money and am simply writing this for my entertainment and the entertainment of the other weirdos that like this OT3. THIS IS RATED M FOR A FUCKING REASON! DON'T REPORT MY STUFF BECAUSE YOU'RE 13 AND YOUR MOM FOUND YOU READING MY STORY. Thanks. :)

Three rather oblivious teens stood away from their class mates. Class mates who either wanted to hug them or strangle them. There were no in-betweens here. Well, save for the few that wanted to do both. In their defense, this had been going on for the whole last year. Of course year three was always filled with drama. It was a normal high school thing for people to realize that their lives were about to change. Things would be different from here on out. The realization often brought up things that had been hidden. In this case the majority of their class watched as three idiots danced around each other. Often times it was hard to call the three leading candidates of their class idiots. At times like this, it was not. An argument had started right before they were supposed to start their weekly movie night. Over what? Sitting in the middle of one of the couches. Todoroki sighed as he watched. He wanted to hug Midoriya and Uraraka. The two were so caught up trying not to step on each others toes it was ridiculous. Bakugou, however, should be strangled for his unending asshole demeanor. Even when the idiot was trying to be nice he was still an asshole. Would he never learn?  
"Just sit down!"  
"No, really, I'm alright."  
"Yeah, Kacchan, I don't really mind either."  
"Damn nerds! Just sit, would you?" Bakugou ordered. Someone behind Todoroki chimed in, "There is enough room for all three of you. Why don't you all just sit?" Iida inserted. Right, he's came in late and hadn't watched these shenanigans from the beginning. "They all want to sit in the middle, or did, now none of them will take the middle." "Stay out of this-"  
"Bakugou should be the one to sit in the middle. Both Uraraka and Midoriya like to put their legs up on the arms of the couch during a movie. Also, Bakugou is taller. He will be able to see over whoever sits in the beanbag chair. It would make watching the movie easiest for everyone that way."  
"Fine, whatever." Bakugou huffed and quickly sat down in the middle of the couch, his arms slung over the back. Any earlier protest was forgotten. Midoriya and Uraraka both looked relived as they sat on the left and right, respectively. "Count on Iida to use logic." Yaoyorozu mumbled beside Todoroki. Her eyes were suddenly looking anywhere but at the tall man with glasses. "Count on you to find that hot." Todoroki quipped. His friends face grew red. He swore all of his classmates were giant balls of hormones and fetishes.

*)O(*

Midoriya could feel his entire body humming with anxiety. If half of it was condensed into his left side where Bakugou was located, at least he knew why. The blonde was close. Only a few centimeters separated them, and right across from him was Uraraka. He wished a little that he was in the middle so she would have been closer. This would do, he told himself, since he didn't know how well he would have been able to handle being so close to both of them. There was also the issue he was having with the idea of separating them. He'd been trying to keep his distance from them for the last week or so. It was quiet clear that they had some kind of connection. They'd been training together in the mornings since second year. Here lately, if he went to study with either of them, he could often find them together already. They invited him often, just as he invited them to study as well. Normal friendly behavior. He knew he no longer thought of them as just friends. To be honest, he'd love Kacchan for years. Uraraka won his heart when she changed how he heard 'Deku.'  
It wasn't fair for him to have these feelings towards either of them when he could see the way that they treated each other. Bakugou was far more kind and tender when it came to Uraraka than he was with anyone else. Uraraka seemed to purposely seek Bakugou out in return. He would back off. He'd already come to that solution. He would be happy for them when they finally got together. It was outrageous to pine after two people anyway.

*)O(*

Uraraka felt like she was living on razor wire. If she stood still and didn't move then she could be happy. At anytime she could slip and her heart would be sliced in half. The absurdity of it all was not wasted on her. She was completely and hopelessly in love with two men who were already in love with each other. They had _history. _The most she could ever hope for was being there when they got married. Maybe they would even ask her to be a surrogate for them when they were ready for kids. Her face heated at the thought. She was thankful that none of her classmates could read minds. Her mind turned dark again. She couldn't tell either of them how she felt. The day they both realized they could be together would be the day she fell from the wire. She would watch as they lived happily with her destroyed heart in her hands. She would watch on, as close as she could get, with a fake smile on her face to hide how she wished she could be happy with them. She wouldn't impose. She would always know that she wasn't welcome and would act accordingly.  
For now they were all friends. She was going to get as much time as she could with both of them. She wanted as many memories of them as she could get. Maybe when they both walked away from her, she could look back on these times without too much pain. Every time she trained with Bakugou. The late nights spent studying with Midoriya. The teasing and laughter that filled their lunch periods together. Each and every time she received a smile from Midoriya. The way Bakugou would call her Round Face with a smirk that had no hint of his normal mean tone. The way they both fought so passionately and aggressively when trying to complete their goals. A memory popped into her head. Sometime around the middle of their second year when they were allowed to spar together without holding back. Clothes ripped and burned away and she got a peak or two at just how built the two of them were. Midoriya won in the end, but only barely. Both were sweaty and panting. Neither wore a scowl as they walked to her. A bit of playful shoving and teasing. The warmth of the memory spread through her heart now. They both smiled at her. It was then that she knew just how far down the rabbit hole she already was.

*)O(*

He glared at everything around him. Usually he would have his arms crossed to really put up a barrier. Right now he kept them laid on the back of the couch. He knew the two nerds who sat beside him too well. An hour or less into the movie and they would both be asleep. When they bother crashed, he would be ready. He refused to feel bad for keeping them apart. It sated his ever growing jealousy and gave him exactly what he wanted: the both of them at his side. He would never admit it. He'd had Deku by his side since forever and that's where he wanted to keep him. Round Face had snuck up into his life; first fixing the horrible name he'd given Izuku and then showing him she was strong enough to stand beside him.  
The jealousy he nurtured flared as he thought of how close they were without him. They'd been friends since the day high school started. There was warmth in their relationship; kindness and laughter. He didn't have that with either of them until recently. It didn't mean he wasn't trying now to gain that warmth. He just wasn't any good at it. He felt incapable of saying what he meant. Even if, contradictorily, he meant most of what he said. 'Good job', came out as, 'You weren't as shitty today.' He couldn't stop himself when he'd conditioned himself to speak like that his whole life. At the very least he felt he couldn't do it without letting them know how he felt. His normal glare hid his sneer at the scene playing in his head. Deku's disgust at hearing his life long bully loved him. Round Face's polite decline that hid her revulsion that someone so pathetic would think they had a chance with her.  
Something thumped against his side. He looked to his right. Deku was asleep. He tried not to smile at the sight. He looked to his left. Round Face was already half asleep. Her blank, half-lidded stare at the T.V. let him know she was moments from sleep herself. The way she was leaning would mean she wouldn't end up against his side like Deku. That wasn't okay. He needed some kind of reason for her to reposition. He softly poked her shoulder. As she looked at him, he could feel his insides melt. Giant brown orbs stared up at him lazily. He nodded his head towards the green mop of hair hidden on his other side. "Looks like you won tonight." He whispered. Uraraka cocked her head, shifting closer to him to see what he was talking about. He wished he could have planned just how perfect what happened was. She leaned against him to get a peak before a soft smile spread across her face. "I won," she said softly. Not quiet a whisper left her lips. "He's cute when he's sleeping." A yawn escaped her, and to his utter surprise she snuggled into his side. "You're so warm," she hummed, as if it was a half baked excuse for her sleep addled actions. Half a moment later she was also asleep. He looked around quickly. Every one looked like they were still watching the movie. Bakugou grit his teeth. This was his chance. Carefully, still checking to see if anyone else noticed, he lowered his arms. He basked in the feeling as he held them against his sides. Some small voice in his head that told him that this was a bit creepy was hushed as he looked down at the two of them. Their faces soft and smoothed of all worry. They leaned against him, trusted him. His heart throbbed painfully in a good way. If he smiled there was no one looking to see it. He closed his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

*)O(* Let's go! I always picture a small kitchenette off the side of the common room for some reason - so I'm running with that.

*)O(*  
He was warm and comfortable, so much so that he wished he could ignore the need to go to the bathroom. He yawned, readying himself to wake up enough to move. His alarm hadn't gone off yet. If he hurried he might be able to go back to sleep. He went to roll to the side of his bed and he fell. A shriek of terror left him. Adrenaline flooded his veins. His stomach tried to leave his body. Even the shortest of falls are horrible if they are unexpected. He wasn't in his room. His hip hurt from taking the brunt of the impact. It was already well into the morning. Sunlight filled the common room. Fragments of knowledge filtered into his awareness. "Deku?"  
"Izuku? Bakugou?"  
He must have fallen asleep during the movie. It was the only solution he could come up with. Twin worried glances stared down at him from their superior positions still on the couch. "Hey, nerd, are you alive down there?"  
"Y-yeah, just fell. Sorry for waking you." They'd already separated but it was clear Uraraka and Bakugou must have been in a similar position to what he, himself, must have been in moments ago. That meant he'd fallen asleep on Bakugou last night. It also meant that they'd all slept together last night. Heat swept his face and neck, scorching the tips of his ears as well. "Good morning." Uraraka yawned. "Good morning," he said quickly. He was already trying to bolt for the bathroom from his spot on the floor. He needed to be alone for a moment. "Morning, nerds. What do you want for breakfast? I'm starving."  
Izuku stopped trying to flee as he hit the edge of the common room and Bakugou's words registered. Did... did Bakugou just ask him what he wanted for breakfast? Was he not getting yelled at for falling asleep? Was it even safe to respond?  
"Eggs, please. You make good eggs." Uraraka suggested as she proceeded to stretch out across the couch. "Yeah," Izuku agreed. Even if the worrying question about how Uraraka knew that swam around the shaken corners of his mind, the grin on his face couldn't be stopped. "You're a great cook, Kacchan." The only reply was a grunt and Izuku made his escape. Everything about this morning was just so weird.

*)O(*

"Bakugou."  
It sounded like a damn song the way she said his name. Replying wasn't an option, he would do it, now he just had to think of how. They were alone. No one else could hear him. It was early, he could blame anything he said on still being asleep. "What's up, Ochako?" Silence hung heavy. He was already mid process of cooking the eggs and refused to turn around to see the expression on her face. He knew her. If she didn't like him calling her by her first name she would say something. He was just waiting for that forced cough that heralded her polite reminder that he wasn't close enough to use that name. Instead he got a giggle. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.  
"Kacchan, I'm really hungry. Can you make me toast too?" He bit his tongue. He felt heat creeping up his neck. That damn nickname sent shivers up his spine. Why on earth would she use it, anyway? The only reason would be to get a rise out of him. "Kacchan, please?" She bemoaned pitifully from the couch. He was sure if he looked over he would see two giant brown eyes pleading at him. "Fine." He growled. "Two eggs on toast. If you want tea with breakfast you better get out here and start making it." He was greedy. He didn't mind. If he could use such a lame excuse to get her closer to him, he would.

*)O(*

This was a pleasantly unexpected out come. She'd steeled herself for a quip about calling him by the same nickname that Izuku used. Instead, she was invited into his space in the kitchen. She might not be a morning person, but this was cause for her to be in a great mood. She went to the kitchen and grabbed the kettle, moving around Bakugou. It was clear he'd spent plenty of time in a kitchen at home. He was used to moving around one. She admired that about him. Men who could cook were always sexy. She pointedly did not look at him while she had that thought. If she did she wouldn't be able to stop the blush that would surely spread across her face. She took her time, and making sure she made a show of pulling down three mugs from the cabinet. No protest came, so she noted that Bakugou also liked tea in the morning. He always struck her as a coffee person for some reason. "If you're just going to stand there, then hand me the plates." Bakugou's voice was severely detached of it's usual venom. Pondering the reason why, she did as she was asked. Perhaps _that_ was the reason, she wondered. Bakugou didn't often 'ask' for things. He stated what he wanted and he did what he had to, to get whatever it was. She couldn't remember him ever really asking for something. "That smells good!" Izuku's voice was a welcome distraction from the noise in her mind and the near silence of the kitchen. Bakugou wasn't very talkative for all his yelling. "Damn straight. Don't think you're eating for free, though. Ochako already started making the tea. Take these plates and set the table." There was her name again. A newly familiar shiver ran down her spine at the sound of it. "Oh, sure!" Izuku paused, cocking his head to the side before sliding in behind her and between Bakugou to grab the plates as Bakugou shoved the finished food on them. In the small kitchen it should have felt like it was crowded with three people in it. While she was very aware of just how close they were as they all moved about, she never felt cramped. This was nice. It felt cozy. "Thank you, Kacchan." Izuku spoke before digging in. "Yeah, thank you, Kacchan," she teased again before busying herself with the food as well. "Shut up, nerds. You better eat everything." Bakugou huffed and started eating. Izuku was looking between her and Bakugou, slice of toast half raised to his mouth. She couldn't really explain why she was doing what she was doing. Some corrupt part of her liked stealing that nickname to use for herself. She couldn't tell him how hearing her name come from Bakugou's lips sent shivers down her spine. Thoughts of Izuku calling her by her given name had the same effect. If she was already teasing Bakugou today then she might as well extend it to Izuku, too. Just to be fair, she hummed to herself.  
"I won last night, you know?"  
"Won? Won, what?" Izuku asked, finally remembering to eat. "You fell asleep first. It wasn't me this time." The pride in her voice was clear. It wasn't often she won at things verses these two. Honestly, it was damn near impossible. "You curled right up against Kacchan, so cute." Maybe a little bit of her jealousy was leaked into that one. Izuku started to sputter. Bakugou barked out a rare laugh. "You barely won. Besides, you did the same thing." Uraraka watched as the next sentence died in Bakugou's throat. Whatever he'd been ready to say, he'd swallowed it. She wanted to know, needed it. "Are you saying I'm cute, too, Kacchan?" Another retort died before it could be heard. Whatever it was that he had to say, it wasn't going to be gracing her ears today. He wasn't like Midoriya. She couldn't tease a solid answer out of him. Teasing a reaction, however, seemed to be a bit different. Pink tinged the blonds cheeks so faintly she wondered if she was imagining the blush. "You're always cute, Ochako." The soft voice almost spooked her. There was no worry of imagining this blush. Tomato red from his neck to the tips of his ears, Izuku tried to hide behind his pile of curls as he ducked his head to take another bite of his toast. Hope jabbed at her heart so hard it silenced her. "Right, Kacchan?" Izuku asked Bakugou, clearly looking for back up. "You two are only cute when you're asleep." The bite was back and there was a hint of venom in it. The whiplash of it all sent her spiraling back down to earth. What was she doing? She was almost clearly flirting with Bakugou in front of Midoriya. She knew how Midoriya felt about him. She knew that Bakugou felt the same thing for Midoriya. This was wrong. She was overstepping. She needed to back away if she wanted to be allowed to stay within reach. Guilt and shame were two heavy stones in her stomach as she cleared her plate as quickly as she could. She wasn't even hungry anymore, but Bakugou cooked this for her and she would finish it. "Slow down, the hell are you rushing for, Ochako?" The sound of her name sent needles through her heart now. It was so wrong of her. Was she really so greedy? "Sorry, but I still have to do some training today." She excused herself. Solitude and loneliness awaited her in her room and she needed them right now.  
She didn't look back to see the similar looks she was given by the two boys.


	3. Chapter 3

*)O(*

Heavy, angry footsteps marked his path as he turned yet another corner. Patrol at this point was routine, yet today he kept looking around his area as if it was the first few weeks on this path. He wanted to fight something, someone. He dared anyone to make a move. His mood had curdled all day. Punching something other than a sandbag sounded wonderfully therapeutic.  
Izuku and Uraraka were obviously closer than he was with either of them. How easily it had been for them both to call each other cute. It was so natural for them. The inability of his to be honest was like a cheese grater against his mind. How he'd closed up and was unable to reply was- He struggled to find the correct word for it until it popped up as he thought of how he'd blushed so clearly.- embarrassing.  
I didn't help that he'd obviously pissed Uraraka off as well. She's been avoiding him all day. He was almost proud of the fact that they could live so close to each other and she could disappear so well when she was angry with him. Curses fell from his lips in near silent mutters that would have had Izuku smiling with pride. He knew, now, why she'd left like she did. How his dishonesty must have hurt her. It wasn't his fault she couldn't understand what he really meant. It was. She knew him, though. He should stop acting like a child. Izuku's face lit up his mind. Sad, curious, embarrassed, worried, a look similar to his, he guessed. Deep emeralds looked up at him. 'I didn't mean to make her angry, but it's true, isn't it?' Izuku bit his lip, looking at where she walked away again. 'Yeah.' Was all he could get out. The flare of irrational jealousy set his body on fire. When would he look at him like that? Nothing was going to take his mind off that morning. He could still hear the way her voice had teased him when she'd called him 'Kacchan.' He could remember that look of dread that she tried to hide right before she ran away from them. "Ground Zero! Ground Zero!" Some small child's voice called out to him. Pink and purple spotted hair bounced as it came running up to him. "You're on patrol again!" Kiki cheered as she fearlessly started to climb up his body before he even had the chance to realize it was going to happen. Some deep part of him relaxed, glowing with familiar pride. "Hey, little octopus. How are we doing today?"  
"We're great! We get to see you!" "Kiki! I told you not to bother Ground Zero while he is working." A tried father sighed, already knowing that it was going to be useless. The older man also knew what was about to happen. Bakugou did too, now. "Catch!" Was all the warning he got before the girl suddenly reversed her sticky quirk and was shooting up into the air. It had been frightening for all involved the first few times, Kiki's dad especially. Now he watched as she shot off into the sky, shading his eyes to make sure he was tracking her properly. He was waiting for her to arch before taking off to grab her midair and make sure she landed safely. The first few times had been a trial in how high she was willing to go. Now she purposely shot as high as possible. She was a daredevil. It sparked an understanding nostalgia inside his heart. The large speck Kiki had become seemed to stay still for a breath. Now was his time. He shot off the ground, aiming with a hard practiced ease. He knew once he cleared most of the buildings he would have to readjust for the wind and he was getting ready to do just that. From the left of his vision he saw something green flicker. Almost in front of him he saw pink soaring up at a much slower pace, but still too fast. Fucking idiots, what were they doing here?  
"That kid's going to fall!" Oh, he'd said that out loud. It clicked at the same time that none of them had decided they weren't going to be the one to catch Kiki. Bright, happy giggles at seeing him turned into a worried look. She didn't like new people. This was about to suck. He was closest so he opened his arms up and hoped he was smiling. The moment she was inside his arms was the moment Deku and Uravity knocked into him. A terrified shriek tore from Kiki's mouth as she pressed herself into him and he could feel her sticking to him. She was sticking to everything right now, he knew. That was how Deku and Uravity were suddenly falling with them. They were tumbling through the air and Bakugou had no control over their momentum anymore. His arms were beginning to adhere to his sides and he knew that the effect would be spreading for the other two as well. Before he could even say anything he felt a slap on his back and the clear feeling of becoming weightless set in as he was still being pulled down. "Deku! Break the fall!" Shouting over the rushing air, he was hoping that the idiot heard him. One spin and a tug later they were nearly floating in the air. He felt like a balloon... like a seasick balloon. "Kiki?" He asked, clearly worried. He wanted to scream at the two idiot currently fused with him but he knew that the girl needed him right then. "G-Ground Z-ze-ero?" Fuck, she was crying. She was probably scared out of her mind. He had been, too, he couldn't blame her. "Hey, little octopus." He soothed, his arms were still stuck, but he smiled down at her as she clung to him and immobilized not only him, but two very strong third years. They may never live this down if the media got ahold of it. "We're okay, little octopus. These guys aren't here to hurt us."  
"They tried to grab me."  
"I know, I know. You trust me, right?" He looked at their positions. It was safe to land like this, but it would be uncomfortable. Uravity looked like she was already going to be sick. They needed to get down soon, but they were still fairly high up. He didn't want to fall anymore and it probably wasn't a good idea to scare Kiki anymore. "Of course!" "Then you have to let my arms go, but nothing else, okay?" "But, I-I-"  
"I know, but look up at me." One purple and one blue eye looked at him. "I believe in you. Just take a breath and only let go of my arms. Like a sticker, or something, just peel it back a little." The eyes had already shifted to a red and green, but they still looked at him with a kind of pure hope that made Bakugou feel like the single greatest person alive and also the biggest liar in the world. "Do it like you're trying to annoy your dad." He teased. "Bak- Ground Zero, we shouldn't be incouraging children to-"  
"You two can shut the fuck up." He bit out. He grit his teeth as he finally looked up at Uravity and Deku. "We were having fun until you two showed up. Now I have a scared little girl that doesn't know you two aren't bad guys. She doesn't have full control of her quirk yet and she might very well throw us all when she tries to let go."  
"We were just worried-"  
"Well stop. What the hell do you think you're doing stepping into another persons patrol area anyway?"  
"This is right on the boarder."  
"Same!" Uravity backed him up. Nausea was fighting through her determination. "Shut it! Let's let the kid do her thing. Just be ready." He said, annoyed. When he felt her letting go he was surprised. She was already doing what he'd asked and was doing it well. Her quirk was a mutation quirk. Every one of her pores was like a tiny suction cup. It resulted in a lot of sticking to things. The drawback was that when she tried to 'let go' she ended up throwing whatever it was that she had stuck to, unless that thing was bigger than herself and then she would be the thing thrown. The harder she clung to something, the harder it was to safely let go. It didn't help that her body could 'melt' a little. When she 'melted' it was even harder to let go because her pores were larger and therefore, stickier. She also had a color changing aspect, meaning that she could blend into different objects. 'Little octopus' had just fit too well. His arms were free. She was still hard stuck to his chest, her little arms melted around his neck. Uravity's hand was stuck on her back, leaving her floating in an awkward angle slightly above them. Deku's arm was stuck against her side, so he was almost beside Bakugou. "Make sure you catch her when we land. I've got Kiki." He grumbled as he lifted an arm and let off a small series of explosions, slowly and safely getting them closer to the ground.

*)O(*

She was used to the nausea by now, so it only took a few moments for her to get her bearings when they landed. She was still completely thrown off guard by the way Bakugou had handled the little girl. He had been sweet and kind, patient. She knew he had all of those things inside of him, but she'd never seen them used so openly before. There was clear evidence that he and this little girl had some kind of history together. A petrified father ran up to them. "She's okay, sorry if we scared you. These idiots thought she was in danger." Bakugou frowned their way. "Just give her a minute, I think she has something she wants to show you." Bakugou spoke to the man first but then looked down and the color shifting child in his arms. "Like a sticker." He told her. Uraraka looked on as understanding and a giant smile spread across the girls face. Then her hand was free. The little girl giggled and Uraraka could see the surprise on Deku's face as he was let go of as well. Then, the girl was popping free of Bakugou as well. "Dad! Dad! I figured it out! I can let go now! I can let go!" She was cheering, sticking her hand to her dad's shirt and then slowly letting go. The older man seemed stunned. "No more throwing things?" Uraraka was a bit lost on the whole situation now. "Kiki! I'm so proud of you!" The dad picked up his daughter and spun her a little. Kiki laughed, blushing. "Ground Zero, thank you so much!" The dad belted as he started to walk away with the girl. Kiki wiggled out of her dad's arms and ran at Ground Zero, jumping into a hug. "Thank you, Ground Zero! I'll always be your biggest fan. Don't forget me when you're a pro, okay? I'm going to be your sidekick, don't forget!"  
"Never, little octopus." Ground Zero promised. Just like that, the girl ran off to her father and the two were gone from sight before she really understood everything that had happened. A sharp stinging pain sprouted in her head. "Ow, Kacchan, what was that for?"  
"Yeah," she whined, rubbing the top of her head. "That hurt." She cooed.  
"You two idiots almost got all of us killed!"  
"But we were-"  
"Hey, we-"  
"I don't give a damn. Stay out of my area and let me handle my own shit. Get back to your patrols, now."  
He was angry. Really angry. Rightfully so, to some degree. She was indignant. _She_ was not a child. "Not until I get the information I need for a report." She fixed him with a stare. "There was a civilian child flying through the air with no way to break her own fall. I need an explanation." Oh, the glare he gave her sent heat to every inch of her body. She refused to step down. He was not going to intimidate her. She stood on equal footing in this matter. He would either respect that or she would report his inability to cooperate and apparent willingness to endanger small children. He looked away from her, over to Deku. Something gave inside of him. "Fine, but I need to finish this damn patrol." She followed beside him as he stomped his path forward. Deku joined followed them both. She almost felt bad that he was trailing behind them. Bakugou started telling his story. It was a month and half ago. Kiki's quirk had just manifested. She was a bit late getting it and they almost thought that she was quirk-less. A heavy pause landed on the conversation and some kind of tension she didn't understand swept through them. He explained the girls quirk and her issues with how it worked. There had been property damage. There were incidents of her harming other people, and herself. For someone so small the force she was able to exert on objects was highly dangerous. He told of how he'd been called to the scene. Glass was everywhere. Some kid was laying in a pile of it. Kiki was standing in the middle. She'd been bullied. The little boy had been sticking glass pop bottles to her after making her use her quirk to hold onto them. He'd pull and make one break, hurting Kiki. That was when Kiki had reversed the suction. Glass exploded, throwing the tormenter. So, Bakugou'd walked up to her. She stuck to him by accident. When he convinced her to go ahead and 'push' he'd caught her. Since then when she saw him they would play a game, seeing how high she could go. She couldn't help but stare at him. He'd never told her about it. A stinging feeling burned against her eyes. She felt horrible for Kiki. The girl has gone through plenty. Uraraka could understand not wanting to be touched after going through something so horrible. Kiki still ran to Bakugou, trusted him. It was astounding. That he could be so gentle, patient, with a child made something 'motherly' ripple through her. He would make a wonderful father some day. "Kacchan, oh, uh, Ground Zero, that's amazing! You never told me what happened that day. Now I understand why you came in covered in glass." "You were covered in glass?" She didn't remember any of this. She should have. Why didn't she?  
"She still had some bottles attached." Something dark in his tone let her know she shouldn't ask. It must have been hard on him. Even if he was _good_ at being _good_, that didn't mean it was easy. "I won't do a report. She doesn't need to be pulled into answering any questions." "Right, and next time, I'll look out for a flying girl around here." Deku agreed with her. "Get back to your patrols, I'll see you two tonight at dinner." Bakugou smiled.

*)O(*

It was his turn to cook. He'd gotten back first and had been worrying about what to cook the entire time. He was no where near as good a cook as either Kacchan or Uraraka. He bordered on being incapable, to be honest. If it wasn't katsu or miso and rice, it was sure not to come out right. He already knew that the other two were burned out on either option. He wondered what would be something simple and easy to cook that he couldn't really mess up. Not a lot of things were popping up. He was going to fail at this. He would give up and just go buy something at a corner store. Nothing that he could make would be good enough anyway. They'd all had a hard day today and a bad meal was not how he wanted to finish it, not for himself and not for them. They deserved better. They needed someone who was just as good as they were. "Are you just going to stand there and look at the stove like it's trying to gain sentience and kill you?" The teasing voice hit him out of no where and he spun to look at who it was. Todoroki smiled at him, amusement sparkling in his eyes. "I promise it won't come alive." Midoriya smiled back at him and felt himself relax a bit. Todoroki was his best friend right after Uraraka and Bakugou. Don't get him wrong, Iida was great and was neck and neck for that title, but sometimes Iida could get a little over bearing. Todoroki had become a different person since that first year and now teasing banter was thrown between the two of them like it was second nature. "I don't know what to cook."  
"You aren't going to make more katsu?"  
"No, I'm sure that they are tired of that. I've made it the past three times-" A hearty laugh cut him off, "You three are so- Never mind. I'll help. Tell me what you want to make and I'll do my best."  
"Really?" "Yeah, come on, we have to have something simple in here."  
Soba. At least it was the hot kind. It turns out that Todoroki didn't know many recipes either. Beggars couldn't be choosers.  
They were almost done when he heard Bakugou and Uraraka come in. Playful shoves and the light tone let him know that everything was okay with them. It must have meant that it was just him and what he'd said that morning that was the issue. He was the problem here. He should have just went to his room and hid there. Maybe he could find a reason to dip out of eating with them. Something _heavy_ draped over his back. Silence fell over the two newcomers. "Izuku, they're here."  
"Uh, yeah, I know." He wondered what was up with Todoroki, as he kept himself balanced to handle the extra weight. "I'm going to go to my room. I like my soba cold." His friend stated, but didn't move. Was it just his imagination, or did he actually get heavier. "Save me a bowl, would you?" Todoroki asked softly. Midoriya raised an eye brow, why was he whispering? Then the weight was gone and Todoroki was walking away. Midoriya shook his head and brought the bowls to the table. Two sets of eyes bore into him as he moved. Tingling electricity replaced his skin. "Thank you, Midoriya." Why was Uraraka's voice so cold? "Todoroki-" she paused and seemed to _calm_ _down_? "Helped?"  
"Yeah! He was super nice. I didn't know what to make and-"  
"Why was he draped all over you, touching you?" Bakugou _growled_. What was up with these two? Sure, Todoroki had been weird, a little, but what did that have to do with anything at all? Midoriya raised an eyebrow at them both. "I don't know, he was probably just trying to be funny. He asked me to save him a bowl, though." Reminding himself to do just that, he sat with his own bowl and began to eat. It wasn't that bad. Both of them looked down at their bowls like something was going to crawl out of it and latch onto their faces. "Is, is it not good? It doesn't taste bad, I promise. I could make something else."  
"It's fine. It's just," Bakugou paused. "I was expecting katsu or miso."  
"But isn't this better? I always make those things."  
"Yeah," Uraraka answered. "You might make the same thing all the time, but you're really good at them." She seemed to resolve herself and took a tentative bite. It seemed to pass the 'not poison' test. Bakugou began to eat too. Izuku had no idea what to say. He was thrilled to hear her say that she liked his food. He was also rather disappointed that it seemed neither of them wanted to eat the soba. He'd tried really hard and paid as much attention to what Todoroki had done as possible, hoping to be able to recreate it again. It was all useless. He was useless. He couldn't do anything right. He was just in the way. A deku, shitty, bothersome, deku. He'd even forgotten to leave. Now they'd had to put up with him. They were happier without him around. "Deku!"  
He flinched at the sound. The accuracy of the word left him feeling like he was a child again. Red eyes that stared at him cemented the feeling as it pulled his soul down with it. "Izuku?" Worry- laden and urgent, Uraraka called to him. He needed to stop. None of this was their problem. Not his feelings for them. Not how he felt right now. Breathe and answer. "Sorry, I was spacing out. What's up?" He was getting better at smiling, no matter what. "I'm not going to repeat myself if you don't want to listen."  
"Bakugou, quit that." Uraraka chided. "He was saying that the food is good."  
"No, I said he better have made sure he paid attention to what-ever-the-fuck it was that Icy-Hot did." Bakugou riled.  
"Same thing," shrugged Uraraka. "What?" Was all he could think of saying. "The food's good, nerd." "See, was that so hard?" Uraraka address Bakugou who just grunted and ate. She smiled, soft and warm. "It really is good."  
The tilt of the world was thrown off. His mind reeled from the polar shift. Every negative thought burned away like paper: bright, flashy, possibly dangerous, but gone too soon to be a real worry once they were ashes. In their place was the desire to be better. He wanted to cook as many things as Bakugou. He wanted to be as creative as Uraraka was with ingredients. It would be some work, but he knew he could do it. He would do anything to hear that they appreciated him. He might need some help. Maybe Todoroki would be willing?


	4. Chapter 4

*)O(*  
First, I'm writing and posting as I go. If things are working out I'll post lots, if not then it'll be a while. Secondly...…...

I swear, if you guys don't know how to put out kitchen fires, I'll cry for your homes. Don't put water on a grease fire, okay? (Prompted by something someone at work said that made me wonder how they've lived this long.)

*)O(*  
He walked into the common room and almost laughed. Instead, he tried not to groan. Mixed reactions were fun to deal with. The three of them were actively fighting over the remote. Bakugou was holding it up higher than the other two could reach and that meant that the other two were all over him, trying to get to it without using their quirks, for some reason. He was so obvious that it made Todoroki almost pity him. It was clear that Bakugou was the one with the most awareness of the situation. It, however, did not mean that he realized that he could have what he wanted if he'd just ask. Their bickering over the object was still adorable. He wondered if he could 'help' them the way Iida had. Silently, he crept to the three of them. He wasn't sure why he bothered until he got close enough. None of them were paying him any attention. Then they were all paying attention as he quickly snatched the remote from Bakugou. There was screaming from the blond, confusion from the brunette, and a sudden hope from the green mop that bounced next to him. "Thank you, Todoroki! There's a quirk analysis special on at five and- hey!" Todoroki put everything he had into not smiling at that moment. He simply sat down with the remote and watched whatever it was that he'd turned on. Midoriya, surprised by the betrayal, shook Todoroki's shoulders and whined. "Not fair, your my friend. You should've been on my side, Todoroki!" It was a lesson in facial muscle control as this point. He didn't even dare to really breath or he might burst out in a fit of giggles. Jealousy sparked so quickly from the other two that he was surprised something didn't catch fire. Uraraka was the first, her hand on Midoriya's shoulder. Bakugou wouldn't be outdone. The blond grabbed Midoriya's hand, yanking him away. A short session of bickering then they were gone, destination Bakugou's room to watch whatever it was that Midoriya wanted. Finally he cracked a smile and let out a stifled huff of laughter. They were all so endearingly blind about everything. Maybe he should do something a bit more to help them out. Midoriya _did_ ask him to help him learn how to cook some more things.

*)O(*

They were all huddled on Bakugou's bed. It was just starting to get comfy and he had not complaints, laying in the middle of them. He couldn't even be bothered to worry about it. They'd sat him down and made it clear they were going to box him in. He continued to grin. This was so nice. He got them. He got his analysis. Everything was going great!  
His phone rang. He pulled it out, noticing that it was work. He teetered on the edge of being happy and being rather annoyed. He answered. On the other side of the phone, a chipper young woman must have thought she was delivering wonderful news. "Deku! I just wanted to ask if you were available tonight. We have two sets of teams that called out due to an incident earlier, and you're first on our call list." "Oh, um, yeah, I could come in. I was just hanging out with some friends." He was already excusing himself for the night to the two others. They understood, of course, but he could see that they were disappointed. "Are they U.A. students with their licenses?"  
"Um... yeah?" He wondered why she was asking. The confusion on his face must have been clear because he got two matched cocked eyebrows. "Could you put me on speaker phone? I would like to ask them to come in as well." Rather confused, Izuku complied with the request. Introducing herself, the woman asked for their assistance. She explained that all the paper work would be handled by the agency and they were already making calls to get some more students to help cover the sudden gap. Bakugou had been silent so far, just looking resolute. Uraraka seemed to take this as her turn to take charge of the situation. Izuku didn't mind. "Miss, I wouldn't mind coming in, but since it's such short notice, I am wondering if you could help me out a little." The sweet tone of Uraraka's voice clued Izuku in to what she was doing. This gorgeous brunette could charm a dog out of his bone.  
"We could get you a ride, sure, or if you need we could-." The lady answered right away, already willing to hand out things they normally didn't get.  
"No, but thank you, I was wondering if the three of us could stay as a team for the night." Uraraka was putting the charm on heavy and Izuku could only watch as she got exactly what she wanted. "We were planning on studying and training, and it would really help if we could still do some of that while we pick up this extra shift."  
There was silence on the other side of the phone. Izuku's anxiety skyrocketed. He still had to work for these people!  
"Oh, how I wish all the others were being this cooperative. Of course, you can stay with your boyfriend." The giggle of the woman was overshadowed by the sudden sputtering and gasps in the room. Izuku thought he was going to die, or break his phone. Uraraka looked just as thrown for a loop as he was. "He, he's not, I'm not-"  
"Which one of us do you think is her boyfriend?" Bakugou laughed. He was laughing, he thought this was funny. Izuku was going to have a heart attack. "Oh, is that the mysterious other person? Are you able to come in as well?"  
"Only if I get to stay with these two nerds." Bakugou chuckled. "Not a problem. Love triangles have always been my weakness." The woman laughed. "I just need your names and agencies. Will you be able to make it in by ten?"  
Izuku wanted to die at this point. If the universe would just reach out and snatch away his soul then maybe some of this embarrassment would go along with it. His stomach was taking a ride on it's own personal rollercoaster. If he had any hope of living through this it would be because he remained as silent as possible while the lady took down the other two's information. No reaction meant no basis for the truth to be revealed. He had to hide it. When they figured it out, he would be alone. Child-like in the way it sent him back to his youth, he stamped down on a new wave of anxiety. He didn't want to be alone. "Okay, get out. I'm going to change. Get ready and we'll leave, maybe grab something to eat on the way." Bakugou started to mutter. Muttering was _his_ thing. Bakugou didn't mutter. "I guess since it's your agency I'll let you take the lead tonight." The delicate compliance was a bucket of water thrown onto the grease fire of his fragile mind.

*)O(*

They already agreed that taking the subway was not going to happen. Instead, they were going to 'taxi' off Izuku. Decked out in their costumes and standing on the roof, the trio were stretching before leaving. For not the last time, she was being hounded about whether or not she was sure about doing this. That answer was yes. It was the easiest, fastest and least annoying way to get to the patrol area. If they would just trust her.  
"You got pretty sick with Kiki, I just don't want to get puked on."  
"I wasn't expecting to have to add so many people all at once." She defended. It was probably time to go ahead and let them know about the other thing too. Something told her that if she waited until they found out that they would be pretty angry. "I also just got done stopping some street racing. Floating and stopping two cars isn't easy."  
"Woah, really?"  
"What, why didn't you say something?"  
Mixed reaction, but she could handle that. "I was sort of freaking out about a small child flying through the air. Plus, it's not like it was keeping a building up or something. I didn't want to bother you guys about it."  
"You never bother us when you tell us about your day. Next time tell us sooner. We could have gotten something to celebrate a takedown." Izuku gushed, prepping to launch into a session of nine billion questions. In an unlikely way, Bakugou stepped in with his own. "You weren't hiding being hurt or something, were you?" That was a very serious tone that the blond was giving her. "No!"  
"You would tell us if you were hurt, right?"  
"Of course!" "Keep that in mind. Alright, let's go." The plan was that she would float herself and Bakugou while Midoriya jumped between buildings. They would get a 'free ride' and not slow him down. Then came the issue of how they were supposed to stay together. The easiest way was something she found hard to suggest. Instead she just gripped one of their hands in each of hers. They were ready, even if her heart wasn't.

*)O(*

It was going well. They were laughing. Some people ran up as they were recognized. More people waved and greeted them. Whenever he needed a moment to come back from all of the attention, they were there for him. He never complained but without fail they knew when he just needed a second. Without fail they would nearly block him from the groups of people, let him breathe before letting him bounce his way back in. He tried to do the same for them. Uravity's weariness when it came to some people hugging a bit too long. Deku's sudden loss of words and trains of thought that left him a bumbling mess. Stepping up and helping them like they help him. He could do this.  
Deep down in his mind something kept nagging at him as they walked. The later it got, the less it seemed that people who should have been going home just weren't. He couldn't remember if something was going on in town or if there was some minor holiday that they would be celebrating that just slipped his mind. His instincts felt like a sentient glass on the edge of a table around an asshole cat. Something was going to happen. Something bad. "Hey, Deku, what did that chick say about why the teams were out?"  
"Huh? I never asked, why?"  
Every light in the neighborhood went out as something boomed. Fuck. 


	5. Chapter 5

Not too good at action things, sorry, but here is this!

*)O(*  
Sometimes the idea that she wasn't a 'girly-girl' was firmly planted into her mind. Three years of training to be a hero had shaped her into something completely different from what she had once been. However, when everything went dark and the complimentary boom shook the air, she had to _try _not to scream. It was only a moment before that feeling went away but it left her with a sense of dread. Something was wrong and the people around them were screaming. They would be looking to them as a source of hope. They had a job to do. Places with back up power flickered to life, the street lights kicking on and relieving the overwhelming darkness. Dispatchers were godsends to all of hero kind. "All heroes, black out due to a villain attack has been noted. Please try to calm civilians and report on your location. Anyone in sector 27 through 32, please remain on standby." The voice through their ear pieces calmly relayed them vital information.  
That was right next to their sector. If she was remembering their route then they'd actually just brushed the edge of 29 about ten minutes ago. A horde of people started to gather near them, seeking refuge near their promised safety. It all felt like a lie at that moment. Uraraka didn't know what was going on any more than they did. She didn't even know if she would be useful here. She could just as well get in the way. "All heroes, please report to sector 30! Two reported villains, possibly more. Current known quirks: Suspect one, strength based quirk, female. Suspect two, male, with ability to manipulate metal. We ask that you express caution as you engage. Their target was a large pharmaceutical warehouse, they could have potentially lethal drugs at their disposal."  
Maybe she wasn't one to normally curse, but that didn't mean that she couldn't. "Fucking shit." She hissed.  
"Damn straight. Okay, let's get there. Deku?" Just as promised, instead of running headlong into the fight, Bakugou held back, differing to Deku. In a moment that made her both love him more and want to slap him, Deku took the time to ask the crowd of people to step back. She slapped Bakugou on the back and floated herself, grabbing onto the back of Deku's shirt. Even when weightless she could feel the air trying to leave her lungs as they shot into the sky. Damn his sexy as hell legs and their strength. "I think I know the building they're talking about. Hold on tight!" A foot tap on the roof of the building they were going to land on and they were already soaring again. They didn't touch the ground again until they were in front of a crumbling building. She release her quirk before looking around. Metal around the entrance was twisted and pushed out of the way. Glass and chunks of concrete littered the area. Civilians around the area were already running away. "Where are they?" Bakugou hissed. "The fastest way out of this area would be-"  
"Help, help me!" A woman was reaching for them, tears running down her face. A car near the building had her pinned to the next building over. Blood was streaming from some spot in the woman's hair. That spot deep down where her instincts lived lit up like a Bon celebration. This was their villain. None of them moved. "Oh, you're not going to fall for that, too? Such a pity." The car came flying at them as the woman kicked it with a laugh. Deku was already moving to stop it. Ground Zero was ready, hands up and open. As it spun towards them, Uraraka kept her eyes on it. There was supposed to be another villain. Just before Deku was about to smash the projectile out of the way, it careened over both of the guys. This was why she didn't look away. As fast as she could, she shot to the left and reached a hand up. A blinding moment of pain overtook her, radiating from her hand. The car was standing still now and she was cursing what she was about to do. She ran a few more steps before releasing. Her right hand was red and swollen, painful. It might not be broken, but it was definitely not alright. She could still move her fingers, at least. "Tatsu! They stopped it! We need to leave!" A male gave away his position by screaming. He had a large bag slung over his shoulder. Those were probably the drugs they'd been warned about. "Shut up, they're just kids. We get rid of them fast and we have a window before the actual heroes-" Uraraka's mouth hit the ground. Green sparked from on top of the woman who was now flat against the ground. She didn't remember even blinking.

*)O(*

She hurt them. They were hurt because of this woman. His mind bounced back and forth. Breathing was the only thing keeping him from potentially hurting this woman. Breathe, don't break her bones. Breathe, don't hit her. Breathe, check on them. Bakugou was standing back up, one hand cupping the large gash on his shoulder. When the car had readjusted he'd been smacked by it. If he was standing, he was okay. His eyes darted to Uraraka. She was staring at him, her mouth open. In her left hand she held her right. It looked bad, but not like his broken bones ever did. They were okay. Breathe. Don't crack the egg. Don't break this woman's bones. There is paperwork for that, don't do it. Something groaned loud and started to screech. The metal light pole behind him warped and twisted. Somewhere he heard a voice telling him to get off of her. The voice was much quieter than the metal. Still in the ground, the pole twisted back sharply and then flung it's self like a messed up baseball bat at him. If he moved, then the woman would be free. If he stayed still this was going to hurt like hell. Too late to move now, he shielded himself as best he could from the incoming impact. He could _feel _his brain being jarred about in his skull. The concrete of the building crumbled behind him and the pole. Izuku wanted redefine the term 'having his breath taken away'. Every single breath was pain. Collapsed or punctured lung? Didn't matter right now, he was trapped. Once he was free it might get easier. He had to get back on that woman before she could get up. The other two weren't going to have the raw power to restrain her. "I'll KILL you!" Bakugou screeched, somewhere. Izuku pulled his body out of the wall. The push against the pole was the hardest. It shouldn't have felt that heavy, but he was struggling to move it. Ringing and swirls of light surrounded him as he stumbled the few steps to the woman. She was sitting up, looking rather surprised. No, that wasn't right. She was scared. She was scared of him. Good. He wasn't in the best of moods right now. Still, a smile grew on his face. "I'm here." He warned, kicking her in the stomach and then keeping his foot down on her chest. She smashed her head into the ground for the second time that night. This time she stopped moving. He could feel her breathing so he didn't check to see if she was okay. His eyes darted around hoping to find his teammates instead. "Die, die, die!" Ground Zero was sending explosion after explosion into a metal shield that the man was trying to use. Despite being able to contort metal, the shield was crumbling against Ground Zero's attacks. Uravity was actively talking into her earpiece and keeping an eye on Ground Zero. She started to walk towards him and he could hear her now. Everything was fuzzy, though. He definitely had a concussion. "The female is unconscious now, but still breathing. The male is still putting up some resistance, but is pinned down. Ground Zero seems to have it covered for now. I'll step in once it's clear for me to do so." There was a pause. Uraraka started to giggle a bit. "No, he won't actually kill him." She dismissed. "I'm checking Deku now. Standby, please."  
She approached him slowly, looking him up and down. "Don't you dare say that you're fine." Stern and on point, he could see her wracking up injuries in her mind. He must be worse off than he noticed. He kept trying to suck in air. The ability to reply was escaping him besides giving her a thumbs up. He could handle this for now. He's had worse. "Deku is in severe condition, but still working off adrenaline. Please make sure you bring someone to help. His breathing is really bad. No doubt on a concussion." Worry stretched her voice thin. Her eyes were also bubbling up with tears. He wanted to wipe them away. She didn't need to cry over him. "Oh, Deku," she breathed. Spots danced in his eyes. She grew closer and relief came with it. If he could just touch her. Everything would be okay. He could protect her. Just touch.  
He felt her arms going around him before he became weightless.

*)O(*

The shield gave away under his hands and he reached inside, flattening his hand against the villain's chest. "Move and die." He smiled down at him. "Careful with that quirk, too. One of my grenades might go off. I might actually hurt you." Instead, the man seemed to think now was a good time to start screaming for the woman to save him. Everything in him wanted to turn and look. He wanted to know. While he'd been holding his shoulder, trying to figure out if it was going to fall off, Deku had ran at the woman and pinned her. This piece of shit was responsible not only for Uravity's most likely broken hand, but for flattening Deku against a building. Everything had been a scene out of a personal horror movie for the last couple of minutes. He thought that they were both dead at different times. Each time he wasn't fast enough. Each time he'd failed. He couldn't let up, couldn't look. He had to wait and hope that the other two were safe. Uravity's voice was solid and firm. She was okay, but he couldn't hear Deku. Bile rose up in his throat. He mentally fought against his body. Keep the bastard pinned. Keep him immobile. Fucking kill him at the first sign of quirk usage. "Ground Zero, please report. Uravity says you've got the second person pinned?"  
"I've got the fucker in my hand with a grenade primed. Yeah, he's pinned." The second mention of the grenade had the man laying absolutely still, crying. "Also seems like a little bitch."  
A cough preceded the next message. "We've got services on their way now. They should be there in two minutes or less. Another squad will be showing up at any moment. Cooperate to ensure successful detainment, please."  
"Understood."  
"Please remain on standby." "Hey," he asked the person on the other end of the mic. "Deku, is he okay?"  
"Uravity has reported that he is in serious condition, but should be fine." There was a pause. "Ground Zero, how are you?"  
"Fine. Make sure they help Deku first." Anger, red hot, tingled as he tried to keep his voice as even as possible. He might have set off a few of the smallest crackling explosions he was capable of. The man cried even harder, but didn't move. "I'll fucking kill you, you piece of shit. Do it. Make a move." He taunted with a smile. "Ground Zero, that is quite enough." Eraserhead stood behind him. "Sensei." He nodded, already moving away and trying to find Deku and Uravity. Izuku and Ochako. He needed to see them. They needed to be okay.  
Deku was not okay. Ochako was helping to load him into the ambulance. Oxygen tank and mask were attached already. There was blood coming from somewhere. "Bakugou, get in, we're cleared to go with him." Something about the look on the medic's face told him that she'd _made_ it okay somehow. He wasn't going to complain and he wasn't going to slow them down. He jumped into the back and sat down next to her as they were shut inside. Deku wasn't okay. Uravity was holding up her right arm to stop it from hitting anything. He still couldn't feel his shoulder, but blood was still streaming out of it. He would need more than a few stitches. In a moment of desperation, he reached beside him and took Uraraka's hand in his. He needed to have some tangible way of knowing she was okay while he stayed out of the medic's way. He couldn't help Izuku. All he could do was know that he would be there for him. As soon as he woke up, he would yell at him. Until then Katsuki remained silent. After a moment he felt a brief increase of pressure on his hand and he returned the act. _They_ would be there to yell at him as soon as he woke.


	6. Chapter 6

*)O(*  
Her hand sat limply next to her in the chair. It throbbed in time with her heart beat. The semi permanent cast on it wasn't helping with the pain, but she had promised not to complain about it. One broken finger, two broken metacarpals, and a fractured carpal were quickly knitting themselves back together. Healing quirks were amazing. It meant that they wouldn't be out of duty for anything more than a week as they waited for the accelerated healing to do it's job. Maybe she could literally feel as her bones fused back together at a level that was unnatural. That was no problem, really.  
She was lectured about using her quirk on high velocity objects during her treatment. Next to her Bakugou had also been given his own lecture on the dangers of flying heavy object with sharp edges. Part of her was glad she'd only broken her hand. A fractured collar bone was going to take even more time to heal than her hand. There was also the absurd number of stitches he had across his shoulder. It would scar. How badly depended on him. If he could stay still and not rip anything out of place then it might just be a small line. She paid attention as he was treated. Focusing on him was the only thing keeping her sane during the four hour wait before they got to see Izuku. The rush of the hardly breathing hero to be into the hospital was still worrying. When they finally saw him again, he was hooked up with a chest tube and a few other machines. His lung had collapsed when he impacted the building. The severe concussion was also a problem. She didn't need to remember the sight. All she had to do was look up. She wouldn't cry again. Crying had already passed. They were inside the ICU room. Just as promised they were quieter than a mouse. They stayed out of the way, against the wall where two chairs had been placed for them. They weren't to even touch him, if they wanted to stay. A very patient doctor had conceded to let them stay when they weren't supposed to have that privilege. Strict rules for their stay had been laid down. Doctors agreed to keep Izuku sedated for three days. His lung was recovering quickly, just like their own wounds. The concussion was the most worrying of his situation. Normally, keeping the patient awake was the standard treatment for a concussion. Izuku, however, had woken for a few moments during treatment and tried to rip out his chest tube and IV. Sedation until he was ready to be off the chest tube was needed. At least the MRI didn't show any bleeding or anything else terrible. "You need to sleep." The whisper almost startled her. To her left, in his own chair, Bakugou stared hollowly at Izuku. He'd been abnormally silent even before they were given their rules. "I can't." She whispered back. Scratchy, and tired, her voice didn't even sound like hers right now. "Ochako, please, you need your rest too."  
"I know, but I can't." She felt the prickles in her eyes start to get worse. No more crying. "You can. Come here." Was it possible to be stern while calmly whispering? Bakugou was pulling it off anyway. Even if he was confusing. They were sitting right next to each other. Where did he want her to go? The legs of her chair squeaked almost as much as she did as she was pulled to face him, chair and all. Before she could yell at him he was slotting his hands under her arms and hoisting her into his lap. She was laid against his chest on the opposite side of his abused collar bone. His uninjured arm wrapped around her waist like they'd done this hundreds of times before. "I'm going to kick my feet up on your chair and close my eyes. You lay right here and do the same. We're here with him, okay? Now we wait. The fastest way to wait is to sleep." She wanted to fight with him about everything he'd just said or done. He could have ripped his stitches. He might have rebroken the healing bone. They could have woken up someone else in the department. How dare he lecture her like she was some child!  
All of it died before she even finished a full breath. He was right here. He was okay. He was warm and soft. She was so tired. What time was it, anyway? Did it matter? They had three more days of this and Izuku's mom was going to be here soon. If anything happened, she would be right here, waiting. They would be here.

*)O(*

She was stubborn. He liked that about her. Even after she'd resigned to listen to him and go to sleep, she stayed awake for another hour. Her eyes kept opening and looking up at Izuku on the hospital bed. Katsuki wouldn't lie. He'd thought about just squishing onto the sides and sleeping with her there, next to Izuku. It would probably have gotten them kicked out the ward. No need to chance it.  
He wanted to be close to both of them right now. Holding her in his arms was alleviating some of that feeling. If he was allowed he would have held both of them like this. All the damn hoses attached to Izuku might have made it a challenge, but oh well. Once the pipsqueak woke up and was free to move around Katsuki promised he was going to get what he wanted. If he never let go of either of them, he would die a happy man. Mutual warmth from Uraraka's body heat mixed with his. Sleep was pulling at him right when he heard the tiny little snores start from Uraraka. Maybe snores wasn't the correct term, but he didn't know what else to call them. It was like little puffs of air that tried to be snores. It was delicate. He tried to match her breathing. Slow, even, with a wisp of a snore right at the end. The exact time he fell asleep was a mystery. It was already morning, he knew. Past 5o'clock, but other than that he had no measure.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-)O(-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Waking up was a lesson in pain management. His shoulder rang out in fire that spread to part of his back and chest while creeping up his neck, radiating down his arms into even his fingers. His skin felt hot and itchy while too tight to comfortably stay together. His legs were gone, well, that was how it felt after having sleeping beauty sitting on them for god knows how long. There was sure to be pain once she moved and he was not looking forward to it. His shoes wiggled when he moved his toes, even if he couldn't feel it. Why he was awake was a mystery. Sleep still pulled at him, trying to take him away again. His eyes readjusted to look about the bright white of the room with displeasure. The forced pulling of air into someone's lungs instantly made him worry for Izuku. An ear splitting sob echoed in the room. "My baby! Look at you! You said you wouldn't make me worry! You promised!" Inko Midoriya clasped her son's hand in her own, weeping. That was the moment that every single particle of guilt landed on his unassuming heart. Uraraka woke with a start, jumping out of his lap and searching the room for some threat. Yep, there was the stinging and burning for his legs. "Miss Midoriya?"  
"Uraraka? You look just like all the photos! Oh, I'm so sorry." Inko wiped her eyes, trying to stop herself from crying. "I'm a mess and this is the first time we've actually met." "Miss Midoriya? I- I'm so sorry!" Uraraka launched herself at the woman and started to cry as well. The older woman burst out in a fresh wave of tears and held the younger to herself. He listened with muted horror as Uraraka described what had happened from her vantage point. As painful as it was to know just what it was that Uraraka was feeling, Bakugou smiled. Inko had always been big on affection. They were exactly what the other needed at the moment. "Katsuki, come here. Auntie needs a hug from you too." Inko smiled through her tears at him. He could feel his body seize up at the invitation. He didn't deserve this, but he couldn't refuse. He tentatively moved over to them and was pulled him the embrace. Awkward was an accurate description. Inko pulled away after a moment. "So he's being sedated because he was being unruly?" It was an odd way that Inko seemed to come to terms with the condition her son was in. "He's never misbehaved for doctors before. I'll have to talk to him about that when he wakes up." The familiar woman huffed and tried to look like she was being stern as she gazed at her son. To say he saw through her like a piece of glass was an understatement. This was for her, this front, this half-lie. "Now! I'm here for the rest of the day. The doctors said something about you two being here all night? You each need to go home and take care of yourselves. I'll stay with him until you get back. I won't take no for a answer either." This part of her kind-stern demeanor was true. "Thank you both for being such important people in his life." With that she hugged each of them before shooing them out of the room. Bakugou allowed it, pulling Uraraka along with him. His legs still hurt, he was reminded as he walked to the front desk. When her hand was pulled from his grasp was the moment he realized he'd been holding her hand at all. Uraraka looked up at him, her eyes, nose, and cheeks all a bright pink from crying. "I'm sorry." She said softly. "Sorry? For what?"  
"I'm not strong enough. I couldn't help you two. I couldn't help him." Her eyes misted, but she didn't cry. "Bullshit," he hissed. They were in the front lobby. This wasn't the place to do this. He looked around. A vending machine area. It would have to do. He took her uninjured hand in his again and dragged her into the not nearly concealed enough room. "I don't want to hear that shit. You're the only reason both of us aren't any worse off. You're why we got him hear so soon. You kept your head. You called in the backup, the medics. You held him up." The words had barbs attached as they left his throat. Each new one tore at who 'he' was. It was painful to explain so clearly, honestly. The last part would be the worst. He didn't realize he was continuing to step into her space, forcing her to step away, until she hit a vending machine with her back and let out a squeak. The need to touch her, to be close to her, slammed into him harder than that car last night had. Slowly, he reached a hand up and cupped her cheek."You did everything that I couldn't." His ego wasn't just bruised. It was just as broken as his collar bone. "Don't you fucking apologize for that, never."  
Her mouth fell open. Wide eyes stared up into his. His arm's distance was all that separated them. She then shortened it as she took a step forward. Some painful thing was trying to reach up to him from the depth of the gaze she gave. Could he reach out again? He wanted to soothe that pain, take it all for himself. If he could stop whatever it was that she was feeling to make her look like that, he'd do anything. If there was something in this whole world he could give her, he would. Anything for her. Anything for him. It was so simple all of a sudden. He could give them each other. He would help her get through these next couple days and then he would ruin everything for 'them', no 'himself'. He would put it out in the open. He would confess for them, point out the obvious attraction they held for each other, let them be happy. It was the only way he could make up for this now. One last selfish act; one last pain for her to endure. Quickly, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. Brief was too long a word to describe how quickly he pulled away, how fast he started to run away. He nearly yelled at the front desk lady, letting her know that he would be back that night. If Uraraka followed behind him or avoided him, he didn't know as he looked ahead. He'd have to take a train to get home in time to make it back tonight.  
Any more thought about what he was doing was shut down. He'd made up his mind.


	7. Chapter 7

*)O(*

The hum in her mind was numbing. She didn't remember how she made her way back to the dorms. All she knew was she was stepping through the gates and then she was in her room. Dutifully, she stripped and got in the shower. Worried green eyes so familiar to the ones she missed dearly were pleading with her to take care of herself, so she did. Warm water beat against her back as she stood still. How did any of this work again? She scanned the bottles. Shampoo, right, she needed that. Chunks and dust from the concrete were still in her hair. A thin layer of grime covered her body and the feeling of needing to be clean was all-consuming. The first step of a few confusing ones past with the same empty mind as the ones that followed. The semi-permanent cast on her hand was plastic and was allowed to get wet. Even if it was unnaturally stiff and painful, at least she was able to use it to hold bottles.  
When she was done and clean again she didn't move. Once she was out of the shower she might start to think again. Right here was safe. Here she didn't have to think about everything. Procrastination wasn't typically one of the skills she thought of having. Time ran at a steady standstill. Once warm water turned to ice before she could convince herself to blink. Once she blinked, the water was off, she was out of the bath room and laying in her towel on her bed. Her hair was still wet and soaking one of her pillows.  
Flat, blank, white of her ceiling stared back at her. No. Red, ruby eyes glared at her. He was always glaring at everything. Never before had she seen the amount of hurt held inside his eyes. He spoke so clearly. His insecurities leaked from him, allowed only for her to hear. He was hurting too. Her selfishness nearly blinded her to it. He was reaching out, searching for some kind of comfort. That had to be why he'd kissed her like that. No. His pain didn't seem to matter to him then. His whole focus had been on her. Maybe a handful of times before had she been subject to his intensity like that. He was still trying to comfort her. How badly that hurt and was welcomed at the same time was confusing. He needed comfort too. Right now one of the men she loved was lying on a hospital bed.  
Right now on of the men she loved was hurting by himself. Right now she was pathetic. A knock at her door had her nearly jumping from her skin. Scrambling to get dressed enough to be presentable, she called, "Just a moment." Once she had on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, she went to the door. Red and white, blue and gray, greeted her. "Are you okay?" Todoroki asked softly.  
"No." She answered honestly. "Vent?" It wouldn't be the first time she'd used him as a spring board for her problems.  
"No." Her answer shocked him, she could tell. It was always easy to talk to the dual user. She might not be as close to him as she was to Iida, but that didn't mean they weren't good friends. Right now she was having problems with herself. There was no need to pull him into all of this. "Aizawa told us what he was allowed to tell. You and Bakugou are free from classes for the rest of the week, by the way. I'm making copies of my notes for all of you."  
"Thank you, Todoroki." She tried to smile, but it felt wrong. Tired of standing in her doorway, Todoroki let her know he was coming inside by nearly running her over. "Talk to me, Uraraka. I know Midoriya is in bad shape right now, but you look like someone died." The way he barged right into everything was endearing. His entire being had shifted since their first year. It was surreal to think this '_person' _had been hiding behind that robot. It was surreal to think of how much all of them had changed. In that first year she'd struggled with her feelings for Midoriya. From strong friendship to love and then promising that she wouldn't let her feelings get in the way. In an off-handed way it was another comment from Aoyama that let her know she was allowed to feel while still working towards her goal. Something about humans being complex. That was also right after she realized that she'd fallen for Bakugou as well. Admiration and respect danced together to blossom in a love that rivaled then equaled that which she already held for Midoriya. So much changed. A memory of Izuku in a different hospital bed in their first year brought her crashing back to the present. "Oh, Uraraka." Todoroki soothed. A cold hand was brushing something wet off her cheek. She was crying again? She rubbed her face. No, no more crying. She'd cried for hours last night. Still, the tears weren't stopping. Strong arms circled around her. "It's okay. Cry, if you need to. I'm here to help." Her hands sandwiched between her face and his chest, allowing her to grasp his shirt. Security lowered every barrier she'd tried to keep intact. It was only Todoroki here. Silent tears turned into loud sobs. Sobs were minimally muffled into a strong, calm chest. He was similar to both Midoriya and Bakugou and she might have imagined both of them in his place. Comfort allowed an honesty she'd been trying to withhold. Her own inadequacies spilled forth. Unable to help with the villains, she'd done nothing more than call for help like a civilian. Midoriya's limp body in her arms. Blood dripped from his mouth from an oral wound, from cuts on his face. He couldn't hear her calling to him to just hold on. His breathing, she remembered that the most. He was trying so hard to keep on breathing, but it was so oddly quiet. Panic, fear, so intense she choked on it still when the medic had tried to take him away. The evil tone of her voice when she'd not too subtly threatened the poor man. Useless in the face of his compounded injuries, she'd been pulled away from him. Hours spent weeping in front of Bakugou who remained silent, still, but within arms reach. Guilt over letting herself sleep. Guilt at how worried Miss Midoriya had been. How could she ever look at Midoriya again?  
Wrestling with her knowledge of the situation and what she was sure Todoroki already knew, she bared everything in whispers. She was in the way, but was too selfish to move. Bakugou's clear feelings, how she couldn't let him have his privacy with Midoriya, even when she knows Midoriya likes him back. Then the confusion at Bakugou's kiss. Anger at it, too. How dare he give her some hope to cling too? How cruel could he be? How could she just stand there, in that vending area, with a smile on her face at a time like this? She was weak, useless, greedy, and obviously crazy. She admitted it then. She told the one thing she'd kept as secret as she could. She loved them. She loved them with everything she had. They'd changed how she viewed heroes, themselves, and herself. If she couldn't protect them, how was she allowed to love them?

*)O(*  
If Midoriya Izuku wasn't already dead, Todoroki was going to kill him.  
If Bakugou Katsuki wasn't dead, he better pray that an angle of death visited before Todoroki did.  
The shaking, sobbing, confession tore through any humor he had at the situation. It might have been wrong to pity someone such as Uraraka. Pity her, he did. Anger also rose up when he looked at the mess she currently was. The ray of sunshine and laughter, the one who cheered everyone on, the person who had personally dealt with a few of his own panic attacks, was a tsunami of grief. All he could do was hold her and listen. This shouldn't have been his responsibility. There were two men who loved her just as much as she loved them who should have been here. He promised, silently, to wring each of their necks. He did his best to give her comfort. When she started to tell him all of her negative thoughts about herself, again, he shut her down. He reminded her that it was okay to feel like that, sometimes; it was normal, but she was in no way those things. Greedy was not a person who stayed up late with him when he worked through his own problems, even when she'd been at school and then work all day.  
Weak was not a person who lent their own strength to others on daily basis. Nearly every person in their class, and some from others, had come to her for help on a regular basis.  
Useless was not a person who literally held up her friend, her love. Useless wasn't someone who protected themselves from flying cars.  
"Crazy might fit though," he smiled with a tease in his tone. Two puffy brown eyes looked up at him in confusion. "Who falls in love with _Bakugou_?" He scrunches up his nose for emphasis. The chuckled he received took away a bit of his hidden anger with the blond. "I know. Crazy, completely crazy." This time her tears did stop as she wiped them, a sad kind of smile rooted in place. He couldn't resist. "Let me know if you need a straight jacket."  
"Oh, it's too late for that." She actually grinned back.  
The opaque plastic on her hand caught his attention for the first time. "What's this for?" He asked, curious.  
"It's broken. The hospital doctors aren't nearly as effective as Recovery Girl."  
"But Recovery Girl was going to meet you three at the hospital."  
"What?" The brunette was just as confused as he was, apparently.  
"She left early this morning to go see you three. As U.A. students she's your primary doctor."  
"Wait, Recovery Girl went to the hospital?"  
"Yes, that's - hey!" Unsure how to react to the previously crying mess suddenly snatching her phone and running down the hall, Todoroki stood in the middle of her room with a tear soaked, snot soaked, shirt and hope.

*)O(*

His phone was ringing again. Whichever one of his friends it was could fuck right off. He'd just gotten out of the shower. He'd done his part the night before, staying strong for Uraraka. The solitude of the shower had let him cry in peace with no witnesses. Now he was just tired. Tired and sore from sleeping in a chair. His chest hurt, too. It was painful to come to terms with the promise he made. The phone rang again.  
And again.  
And again.  
He snatched the thing, intent on chucking it out the window when he noticed the background lighting up. He used pictures of his friends so even if he was half asleep he would know who to yell at. The one single photo he'd managed to get of just Uraraka took up the expanse behind the answer button. She was in her bathing suit at the beach. They'd taken that trip last year. A wide brimmed straw hat sat crooked on her head as she tilted it to the side, smiling at him. Smiling for him, he remembered. She'd caught him trying to take the picture. Her response to his embarrassment was to smile with everything she had, just for him in that moment. He swiped the answer button and listened.  
"Hospital, now." The line went dead. His heart died with it, too. Half a heart beat passed, or it would have if the organ wasn't stuck in his throat. "No," he whispered to himself. Without a second thought he threw open his window and jumped out. His hands sparked then radiated heat, his quirk propelling him towards the hospital. He was only dressed in a pair of sweats and a tanktop. His collar bone protested immensely. It didn't matter. She needed him there. Whatever was waiting, he was rushing to meet it, rushing to meet her. Half way there he could feel his hands start to give out. Shooting, stabbing, burning pain splintered it's way through his arms. He wouldn't make it like this. It was the fastest way, though. He had to be there, to do whatever it was that was going to be needed of him. He couldn't leave her alone to this. "Bakugou! Slow down!"  
He almost didn't hear her. Hell, she might have been calling to him for a while now. It happens when wind whips past your ears during mid-flight and you're having an panic attack at the same time. He turned, amazed at what he was seeing for a moment. She was perched on top of Iida's shoulders, her hand reaching for him. Iida was sailing through the sky, looking a tad uncomfortable already. An old part of him shadowed his current self momentarily as he bit his cheek to stop from telling her he didn't need her help. Still, he reached for her. Their hands met, but they didn't stop moving forward. It seemed they were both using their quirks a lot today. Below, Iida started to fall in a controlled decent. Uraraka had really improved her quirk and the control she held over it. Yelling, again, to be heard over the wind, "Recovery Girl is at the hospital with Izuku." They stared at each other for a moment. Patience written on her face, she waited for the pieces to fall together for him; which felt like it was taking too long, even for him. Recovery Girl was with Izuku. Izuku would be okay. That part clicked first. Second was that Izuku would be awake soon. They needed to be there. As much as he physically needed to see Izuku awake and okay, Uraraka must have felt it too. It was the only reason he could think of why she'd be sailing through the sky with him now. "Answer your phone next time," the brunette smiled. "Huh? Can't hear you," he smiled back. One course correcting blast behind them and he pulled her close as they flew through the city. He no longer had to hold up the strain of keeping himself airborne. A constant reminder of his headstrong behavior radiated violently from his shoulder. Breathing was now his primary focus as worry fueled adrenaline left his blood stream in favor of sustainable determination. Damn, he groaned internally, his shoulder was killing him. No sooner did he think it than Uraraka was scolding him. Familiarity with the situation had him grinning. They were okay.  
Now he just had to wonder if they would forgive him when he ruined their friendship.

*)O(*

His throat must be feeling whatever it was that eating a handful of needles felt like. His whole body was one giant bruise. His head pounded, reminding him that he had a skull with every heart beat. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times..." Recovery Girl was scolding him. Don't put himself in unnecessary, harmful situation. Don't majorly damage his body every time he fights a villain. Stop making her come to the hospital. To say he was half listening might have been a stretch. Normally he would be giving her his full attention. "Smarts, doesn't it?" She quipped, getting his attention back again. "Yeah," he tried not to whine.  
"I'm leaving a few things to the other doctors. That concussion is one of them. You'll be out for three weeks, minimum."  
"Three weeks?" He did whine now. "Rest. Take care of yourself. If I hear of you pushing it, I'll extend your rehab without so much as blinking."  
"Yes, ma'am."  
"Good. Now, where are they?"  
"They?"  
Neither of them got in another word as two people nearly broke down the door. Izuku grimaced at the sound of the metal slamming against concrete. Red-faced, sweaty, and both out of breath, Uraraka and Bakugou stared at him from the doorway. Of course they were together. They were always together, he acknowledged. They only stayed there long enough to notice him awake. Two bodies launched at him.  
Unlike any other time, dread bloomed in an already rolling stomach. If they flung themselves on him, he might puke on them. Thinking of the pain that it would bring wasn't a pleasant idea either. An angel appeared just then. Well, she was already present but she was angel just then. Recovery girl grabbed both of them by the hem of their shirts, halting their charge. "You two," the old woman said, annoyed. "Where did you disappear to? Usually if my patients are well enough to leave the hospital-"  
"Is he okay?" They both asked, cutting Recovery Girl off. An exasperated sigh was their answer. Gray-haired and done dealing with teenagers, she waved them to pass her with only a warning of, "Gently."  
Izuku tried to relax, really, he did. They both looked so... guilty, though. Uraraka was already crying. "No, no, no, don't cry." He pleaded, voice scratching and burning as he made sure he wasn't also going to cry. Bad move, apparently. Giant tears beaded and fell before she leaned down to hug him. "I was so scared," her voice barely registered even though she was right next to his ear. The warmth she brought was gone too soon. In a sick turn of events, he was slightly glad for it. His body screamed in protest at contact, but it was still appreciated. Izuku looked to Bakugou. The blond seemed to be finding the tile fascination. "No hug?" Izuku teased. He meant to tease, at least. Relief so clearly smoothed Bakugou's features, Izuku though he'd just granted the other man's final request. Prepared for something other than what he was getting, Izuku sucked in a breath. Strong arms wrapped around his neck, gentle in how they didn't squeeze or press. Over far too soo, Izuku mourned the loss immediately. "I'll kill you if you ever do something like that again." Those were the words Bakugou used, sure. Their meaning was the same as what Uraraka said earlier. They were scared. The guilt of that burden being theirs was suffocating. He didn't want them to worry over him. "Sorry," he muttered. A full apology would have been theirs if he didn't feel like he might cough up blood like All Might if he spoke any more. Their stares were intense. If he wasn't feeling like, well, like he'd been hit with a light pole, he might have squirmed under the attention they both gave him. "Now," Recovery Girl spoke, gaining their attention. One lecture and another greeting from his surprised mother later, he was being released. Uraraka and Bakugou were too, apparently. Something had been said about them leaving the hospital on their own before she'd had the chance to look them over. He had to spend the rest of the week with his mom, on her orders. Even if he didn't have to attend class, he still wanted to be at the dorms with his friends. If he let his mom have her way it would mean she would stop spazzing out, for now. It was for the best. He could give them the space they needed and he could stop his mom from worrying herself into an early grave. Maybe one of them would make a move while he was away. Maybe he would come back to a happier set of friends. In a completely selfish way, that hurt worse than the rest of his injuries. He left the two of them at the train station, remorseful that he hadn't been able to apologize or thank them properly. They would be getting his notes and class work for him, taking on responsibility for him. He was barred from even going to class for the rest of the week. Any physical activity was a no-go for the first two weeks. After that he was allowed a very moderate work out routine. Clear in her delivery of threats, Recovery Girl let him know that even if he was feeling better that this was not something that could be rushed. He kept his head in his hands to block out the motion around him, worrying about whether or not he would actually be happy for his friends.


	8. Chapter 8

Please note that I'm using my own experience with an unfortunate concussion as a reference.

Silence permeated their walk back to campus. If the reason was because they were both feeling emotionally and physically raw, then Katsuki could understand it. It wouldn't explain why Uraraka was refusing to look at him, but he tried not to think about it. No longer radiating pain, he couldn't even focus on his shoulder. It was sore, but even thinking about complaining about it felt ridiculous in comparison. So silence was the only option. They stayed together, occasionally jostled into each other by passersby, but remained separated. An unfortunately common path that was easy for them to follow after having walked it so many times in their years at U.A. Katsuki looked over at Uraraka again. She was clenching and unclenching her hand, but was actively looking across the street. He followed her gaze and found an old ramen shop operating out of a hole in the wall. Those places always had the best food. His stomach clenched painfully and he stopped dead in his tracks. When was the last time they ate? It was after noon now. Almost a whole day? His hand shot out for Uraraka's and he was pulling her across the street, barely wary for traffic. A mess of confused sputters and questions started to pour out of her, but she didn't hesitate to follow. He had them seated at the main bar and was ordering for them before he answered any of her half asked questions. "If I'm going to ruin my diet, I'm not doing it alone." He smirked as he put in an order for two of the largest bowls of Ramen. Uraraka quieted and just nodded. He'd like to act as if it was some deep part of him that was so happy that she would just -listen- to him. It wasn't. It sat on the surface of who he was, clear to see. He smiled as he started to wait for their food. "I, uh, I don't have any money." She blushed next to him. Bakugou lifted a brow at her. He snorted before he replied. "So?"  
"I'm basically here in my pajamas. All I have is my phone." He cocked his head at her. He looked her over. Sweats, tank top, tennis shoes. His eyes lingered at her chest and he knew that she didn't have a bra on. Fuck, fuck, fuck, shit, damn it, fuck. He very pointedly looked behind the counter and not at her. He clenched his thighs together for good measure as he tried to sound much calmer than he actually was. "So, I am too. It's fine. No one cares."  
"Sure, but you always look good." She said, grumpy. She must have noticed his stare earlier because her arms were crossed now, a picture of petulance. Her words hit him like Deku had just thrown a stuffed bear at him at 20%. It took his breath away, might have left an emotional bruise to be proud of later, and exploded against chest and defensive capabilities for a moment. "Y-you do too, you know." He mumbled. The urge to do literally anything with his hands was strong. He desperately wanted to fix his hair or straighten his shirt. He got this feeling a lot around either of them. Preening. It was so basic, but so tempting. Their ramen came soon and they ate in silence. It was peaceful. When they were done he opened an app on his phone and paid for the meal since he too, did not have his wallet. Uraraka gushed and proceeded to download the app herself. It was a quiet walk back to the dorms with only a brief call from his mom when she realized he was no longer home to interrupt their shared solitude. As campus loomed in front of them, they both seemed to slow down. Katsuki thought it was just him at first. The peace was a nice break. That must have been it. He empathized with it. Looking at her now, she wasn't looking at him again. Worriedly, he thought about the kiss. Was this his scolding in the making? Was this a retraction of her friendship? He was ready to take whatever punishing words left her mouth. Standing his ground just inside the gate, but not yet in the dorms, he waited for his emotional execution. Pinned in place, shackled to the spot as two brown orbs locked onto his own gaze, he started to have second thoughts. Cowards ran away, he told his nearly trembling body, and he'd be damned if he was a coward starting now. Jittery energy still shot through him: an adrenaline rush. If he wasn't so used to it from battle he wouldn't know it know. Fight or flight bull shit, he cursed against the echoing walls of his mind. He refused to run and she refused to stop staring up at him. "Thank you." Wavering, but honest, the words she spoke confused Katsuki. Two warm hands cupped his cheeks, pulling him down just a little. Shock was an obvious factor in his lack of resistance. Soft, but clear in the way it set every nerve ending he had on fire, her lips pressed against his forehead in a kiss. "Good night!" The squeak was almost too high pitched for him to hear it. He opened his mouth to say something back, but words tangled around each other in this throat, creating a blockage. He blinked and realized she'd ran inside while he was trying to recover. He looked inside, through the glass, and then around him. Everything in the world had just shifted a few centimeters and he felt off as he stumbled his way through the doors.

*)O(*

Todoroki reminded himself last minute that jumping down the stairs was punishable with a week of cleaning duty. He was nearly falling down the stairs, unable to make his feet go any faster. He'd seen the exchange from the third floor, and was on his way to intercept Uraraka now. He had a thousand questions. He needed to know. He was entirely too invested in all of this.  
Uraraka was already heading up the stairs. Her head down and babbling to herself in a way that would make Midoriya proud, she scared Todoroki. "Uraraka?"  
"Todoroki?"  
"I saw, are you-"  
"You, you saw? Oh, my, god, no. No, if you saw, then someone else. I, I just did it, I wasn't thinking. W-What am I going to- how, no. I..." Oh, Todoroki realized. She was about to have an anxiety attack. No, she was probably having one now. He pulled her up the stairs and to her room, knowing she wouldn't want anyone to happen across her like this. "We're going to talk once we get you settled down, okay? Let's get you under a blanket and something to drink."  
"I, yeah?"

*)O(*

Kirishima turned his TV down. He looked around. Nothing looked like it had fallen. He was sure he'd just heard something. He waited, listening as hard as he could, like it would improve his hearing for real. There it was. The softest tap against his door, like, ever. Was it Koda? No one else would ever think Kirishima could have heard that. He went to his door, pulling it open expecting, well not Bakugou. Not a dazed Bakugou. Not a dazed Bakugou with a giant smile. Not a dazed Bakugou, with a giant smile, who looked like he was about to break at the same time. "Dude," Kirishima began, moving out of the way so his friend could shuffle inside. "Are you... okay?" Hesitant to inquire about weakness, he started to harden, waiting for the explosion he'd usually receive. Instead, the blonde flung himself on the red sheets of Kirishima's bed. "I don't know." The soft reply tore through Kirishima's heart. Now. Now was when Kirishima started to panic. He spent the rest of the night slowly prying the story out of his friend. Bakugou wasn't dumb enough to put names to the people he was talking about, but that didn't stop Kirishima from knowing exactly who he was talking about. He heard first hand that Bakugou cared about two people. That he thought he was just a hinderance. How is blonde friend couldn't tear himself away from the other two, regardless. How he didn't know what to do now that he'd given and received mixed signals. As much as Bakugou was a private person and never came to Kirishima with problems, Kirishima tried to just listen. It seemed like what Bakugou needed at the moment, and it was the only thing stopping Kirishima from just yelling his opinion on the matter. It was so clear that the others liked him. It was so freaking clear that the three of them could be happy if they would just talk like this to each other.  
By the time his bed had been stolen by his friend for the night, he had a plan. He would need a bit of help. He thought of the people who had outright stated something about the situation. They needed to be people he could trust, people who would be more invested in moving these three forward than spending time gossiping about it. Even if that was temporary, he cringed as he thought of one of the people he would need.

*)O(*

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," Izuku hissed after bending down to pick up his dropped shirt. He was glad he knew better than to bend at the waist, but that didn't mean everything didn't hurt. His head was spinning, still. He wished he would get used to it, but it never happened. After puking his guts out after mistakenly shaking his head to clear his vision once, he instead took a few deep breaths and focused his eyes on the poster across the room. Blinking slowly, he put on his shirt and started to make his way to the kitchen. It felt like he was relearning his body. Right in front of left, breathe, blink slowly, stay next to the wall in case he got too dizzy. He felt like a toddler. It didn't help that his mom was treating him like one, too. This wasn't his first concussion. It might have been his worst, but it wasn't the first. He didn't even have any broken bones right now. Fighting with his mom to be allowed to move around on his own wasn't any fun. He loved her to pieces, but he was feeling a little smothered. Propensity for overreacting clearly came from his mother, he thought with a smile. On the kitchen counter his phone was flashing with a message.

*Kirishima:* Hi, Izuku! I was wondering if you were allowed to have visitors. Some of us want to come see you.

Izuku bit his lip and mulled the idea around for a moment. He wanted to see his friends. He really, really did. Thinking of how loud and, frankly, jarring his friends could be made his head pound even harder and his stomach start to roll. Guilt stabbed at him with as much intensity. He knew what it was like to be in Kirishima's place. A few of his friends had been hurt during their time at U.A. Rarely those times were restricted to time away from school to recover, and in those times, he'd gone to visit almost all of them.  
He looked up and noticed his mom watching TV. "Hey, Mom?" He noticed her jump a bit then whip around, concerned. He smiled softly, amused but also glad. He didn't visit home as much as he should, and she was home alone most of the time. It meant he could spook her. No kid in history thought that wasn't a little funny. "Could I have some friends over? They want to make sure I'm okay." Reactions was something else they seemed to share. Brows furrowed then relaxed before furrowing again. "Not too many, and they need to be aware of your condition."  
"Thanks, Mom," smiling, he nodded to her. He texted Kirishima and set his phone down. He should probably clean his room if he was going to have visitors.

*)O(*

Kirishima, Todoroki, Ashido, and Denki all looked at the message.

*Midoriya:* My mom says it's fine, but not too many people. Please remember not to jostle me. I don't want to puke on anyone lol

"Perfect."  
"Now we just have to get them there."  
"Not a problem. Bakugou practically lives next door."  
"We just have to ditch them on the way, right?"  
"Yup."  
"Lets go set this up."  
"Right behind ya." "I'm so ready to see them together."  
"That's why we're doing this."  
"I know."  
"I understand that, though. It's getting ridiculous."  
"Agreed!" They all said at once. They each smiled before breaking off to go start their parts of the plan.


	9. Chapter 9

Something was wrong. It was clear from the start, but everything kept getting more and more suspicious as early morning changed into afternoon. Kirishima demanding that they all go see Izuku, and telling him to wear something 'nice'. Mina and Kaminari asking to go, too. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and Bakugou didn't like it. Not at all. The fact that Halfie wanted to go also pulled at something inside of him. He squinted his eyes at all of them, hoping that one of them would crack before they left. Not a single one budged. He huffed in annoyance.

"Do you think I look okay?" Uraraka asked Todoroki. Bakugou looked her over for the fifth time in the three minutes since she'd come down the stairs. Her hair, which had gotten longer in their time at U.A, was pulled back into a braid while her classic bangs framed her face. A light amount of makeup highlighted her eyes and lips. Pink was her go to color most days. This vibrant blue dress was messing with his head. It was cute, and also, very well fit to her body. A T-shirt design on the top half, pleated skirt on the bottom. Baby blue flowers started to fall once the dress met her hips and seemed to pile together at the bottom hem. It barely came to mid thigh and he had to keep dragging his eyes away. "You look great," Todoroki smiled. Bakugou felt his lips pull back and nose scrunch before the snarl started to pull at his throat. "Are these new?" Todoroki asked, touching the earings Bakugou knew he'd gotten Uraraka for her birthday a while ago. He wanted to smack the other man's hand away. He smirked when Uraraka pulled away and swatted at Todoroki playfully.

"Not really, but I don't often get to wear them. They're really pretty, and my favorite pair."

"Then wear them more." He growled. He liked seeing them on her. Why the hell didn't she wear them if she liked them so much? How was he supposed to know they were her favorite if she never wore them? "I can't."

"Ha? Why the hell not?"

"They dangle." She said, as if it made perfect sense.

"Oh, I do the same thing!" Ashido gushed. "They get caught on everything and pull. Plus wearing them during practice could be dangerous. I've almost had my ear ripped off when I forgot once." The other woman also admired the earrings, carefully flicking them so the cascades of silvery metal glimmered in the commonroom lights.

Frowning, he thought back to when he'd gotten them for her. The thought of if they were, well, practical, wasn't on his mind. They would look good on her, and they did. Knowing the reason for her never wearing them made him speak up, needing to let her know he wouldn't mess up again. "I'll get something smaller next time."

"W-What? You don't have to get me anything! I really like these!"

"Bakugou just wants to see you wear his gifts more often," Ashido chirped and poked at Uraraka'a side.

"It's a guy thing." Kirishima grinned really big while giving her the thumbs up.

"Really? Cause I do the same thing with Jirou." Kaminari teased.

"But Jirou's your girlfriend." Uraraka waved it off.

Bakugou glared as Todoroki pointedly looked at him. The hell could that half-assed bastard know? So what if he wanted to see Uraraka in things he bought? He did the same thing for his other friends. Hell Kirishima wore the hoodie Bakugou had got him all the time. Ashido had a copper bangle that sat on her wrist, and maybe it had a micro-coating from Mei to stop it from melting all the time. It didn't matter that Uraraka had a pair of earrings, and a necklace. There was that pair of high heels he helped her pick out for that formal-

"Anyway, we need to head out." Cheery as always, Uraraka pushed them all out of the dorms.

*)O(*

"The hell are you guys still doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Weren't we supposed to ditch them on the way? You know, so they could all be together _alone_?"

"Again, ditto."

"We already agreed that I would stay."

"No way can we trust _you_ to make sure they all realize they're idiots."

"I take offense to that."

"Noted."

"Hey, off topic! What are we going to do? If we all show up then *poof* there goes the romantic atmosphere."

"They have a romantic atmosphere?"

They all took a moment to laugh at that.

"Oi, the hell are you extras whispering about back there?"

"Nothing!" They all said together. Which didn't sound suspicious at all.

"Then hurry the hell up! We're almost there! If I miss out on Auntie Inko's brownies because of you I'll fucking kill you all!"

"I didn't know there was going to be brownies!"

*)O(*

First impressions mattered. They really did. She could still look back and remember what she thought of Izuku the moment she stopped him from falling on his face, or Bakugou's yelling. Ruining hers with Izuku's mom by being an emotional mess meant that her second impression had to be killer. This was probably as dressed up as she'd been in a year.

Anxiety swelled in her stomach as she stood behind Bakugou at the door. Maybe her dress was caught in her underwear. What if her make up was running and she didn't know it? Izuku's mom was going to hate her, think she was always a mess. Despair at further worry about not being good enough, or being in the way ate at her stomach. This was a sweet woman who was worried about her son. Here Uraraka was with another man and a small squardron of other people.

When the door opened to reveal a smiling Midoriya Inko, some of that anxiety vanished. This woman was where Izuku had learned to be so bad at faking smiles, afterall. The warmth and motherly love she radiated was comforting. "Katsuki!" Uraraka laughed as the blonde suffered the following hug about as well as a cat might suffer being pet before a meal; he'd allow it but only if he got his treat afterwards.

"Uraraka!" The same level of care pulled her in. The scent of brownies did cling to her, along with green tea. Warmth enveloped Uraraka's whole being as sturdy arms wrapped around her. "You look wonderful." The near whisper was almost missed. An arm stayed around her shoulder as the older woman looked to the other people with them. "Todoroki?"

"Hello, Mrs. Midoriya."

"Ashido?"

"Mina, please! You know me?"

"I know of you, dear. Izuku still tells me all about his friends at school." The tease was clear. Uraraka was worried about why she was still being held so close. Humming, the older lady tips her head before seeming to put a name to the face she was presented with. "Kaminari."

"Izuku talks about me?" There was an elbow jab from Kirishima that was none too subtle. "Ow-Kiri- Oh, um, I mean, nice to meet you Mrs. Midoriya." Inko shook with laughter, and Uraraka relaxed a bit. "Kirishima, wonderful to meet the person both Katsuki and Izuku talk about."

"I'm sure they're lying, miss." Kirishima laughs, blushing.

"So you're not nice, strong, or manly, I'll make sure to-"

"No, wait!" Kirishima panics for a moment.

The group laughs while Kirishima takes a moment to recover.

"Mom," an embarrassed voice calls from inside of the house. "Please, at least let them through the door."

"Midoriya!" The rest of the group calls. Uraraka jerks her neck around to get a look at him, almost headbutting his mom in the process. He was a bit dishevled, but he looked okay, if not a little pale. Black jeans and a t-shirt that looked a bit too small. They might have been, seeing how they were probably old. All of his current clothes were at the dorms.

"Hi, guys." He waved. "Please, come in. Mom made brownies."

"Called it!" Bakugou fist pumped the air. "Aunty always makes brownies when she knows people are coming."

"I do?" Inko questioned, finally letting go of Uraraka to cover her blush with her hands.

"You do." Izuku chuckled softly.

"And they're always amazing, Aunty."

"Oh, Katsuki, such a sweet talker. Alright, everyone, come in. Remember, please don't jostle Izuku too much."

"Yes, ma'am." The group nodded. They were ushered to the lone couch while the kitchen chairs were pulled around. Uraraka quickly snagged her spot on the couch next to Izuku and was glad to see Bakugou did the same, sandwhiching their injuried friend.

Things happen when you get seven high schoolers into the same space and give them more brownies than they can eat, coupled with a new All Might movie. Adding popcorn into the mix only added to the teen spirit fueled fire. Inko never even questioned it as they all laughed and a few times shouted. Each loud noise was emphasized by a flinch from Izuku, but a grin.

"I'm going to the store for some drinks."

"Thanks, Mom. We'll try to keep it down."

"Don't forget to take your medicine soon."

"I'll make sure of it." Katsuki assures.

"And I'll make sure he's nice about it." Uraraka giggles from her spot on the couch. Inko chuckles before leaving.

"The hell is that supposed to mean, Round Face?" Bakugou growled.

"Dude." The rest of the group, besides Izuku and Todoroki groaned. Bakugou did have the decency to at least blush a bit. "I can be nice!"

"Uh-huh." They all chorused. Then, "I dare you," Todoroki smirks.

"The hell was that, IcyHot?"

"I dare you to be nice to Izuku." There was a controlled sound in his voice that even Uraraka could pick up on. Bakugou growled. Izuku squeaked. Uraraka grinned. It was new for Todoroki to use Bakugou's pride against him and she had to admit she liked the idea.

"Wait, Kacchan, you don't have to do anything. I- I can get the medication myself."

"Shut- arghhhh. Nah, De-" There was a long pause here, drawing out the frustration. "Izuku. I'll get it for you." The room was silent. So silent the springs of the couch made the only sounds as Bakugou got up and padded in equal silence to the kitchen.

"Holy shit, I can't believe that worked." Kaminari whispered.

"That was mean. He was already being nice." Izuku scolds.

"That was him being nice?" Todoroki feigns. Izuku, to Uraraka's amazement, glares at the man. "It's true, though, he can be really nice. Especially in the mornings. He helped me get my comb out of my hair when I got it stuck." Kirishima nods.

"I'm litterally still right here." Bakugou growled.

"We see you, but we don't care." Mina waved her hand. There was another growl. "At least we say nice things when you turn your back." Kaminari laughs. Uraraka smiles. Maybe she wasn't good friends with the guys here, but they were her friends and she loved the easy way they could all joke with each other.

Izuku sighs beside her, seeming to deflate. Her eyes went to him instantly. He looked fine, besides a pinched brow. It's a scary thing about concussions, you almost forget that the person is hurt. "You okay?" She asks, leaning into him a bit. "No," he laughs weakly. "But, yeah, I'm fine. Everything is just a lot." He leans back into her, a reasurrance.

"Medicine should help, then." Bakugou rounds the couch and hands over his medicine and a cup of water. Izuku doesn't move from her side as he reaches for the items, a soft thanks on his lips.

It was unusually silent for a moment. Izuku swallowed his pills. Bakugou held out his hand for the glass. Uraraka smiled when Izuku drained the glass, handing it back over and was rewarded with a soft fluffing of his hair. "Kacchan," Izuku squeaked, going to shoo away the hand. Whatever it was inside of her, couldn't stand that thought. She took his hand, tucked him further into her side and started to gently comb through his hair. "Let him be nice." She shushed him when he sqeaked again.

"Oh, my, god. You three are just so cute." Mina gushed. Uraraka laughed, but didn't stop her fingers. Green curls wrapped around them, snagging softly. It was nice. Easy movements with her fingers had the strands loosening their grip on each other and parting, making it easier to continue. "We can't help it, can we? We always take care of the people we care about." Kaminari said in a moment of unexpected sagedom. She could only agree as Bakugou sat back down with them on the couch.

*)O(*

At the mention of caring for these two, Izuku fought not to go ramrod straight against Uraraka's side. He wondered at the implications of someone like Kaminari figuring him out. "If any of you get a concussion you can just do me a favor: fuck off and die." The smile on Katsuki's face was soft. Izuku couldn't help but grin in response. The rest of the group complained.

Considering how loud their friends could usually be, he recognized the way they stifled some of their louder words. It made him feel cared for, just like the fingers combing through his hair. It was nice.

He blinked.

The only indication that he'd fallen asleep was the fact that he'd woken up.

He looked around, slowly. There was the sound of the TV. Blurry shapes. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. Voices became more distinct while he was trying to get his eyes to work again. There was bickering. He recognized the sound of Bakugou growling at someone. His eyes started to focus better and he could see something encroaching on him, aimed for his face. Something under him moved. The object immediately retreated.

Kaminari sat infront of him, marker held in one hand as the other clutched his stomach. "Dude, Uraraka, that hurt."

"We told you not to touch him." The anger in her voice woke him up the rest of the way. He was laying on his couch. Mina was reaching for Kaminari. Todoroki was no where to be seen. Kirishima was actively grimacing in his seat. "You're being a dick." The venom in Katsuki's voice had him turning his head to the source. He looked down, for some reason. Katsuki was at the end of the couch, Izuku's legs on his lap. That startled him, but only as much as Uraraka's voice did when it came from slightly above him. He looked at her as she agreed with Katsuki. The only way to get this angle was if he was in her lap. He stiffened.

"You woke him up." This time, it was Todoroki who seemed to know that Kaminari had messed up.

"What happened?" He asked, trying to sit up. Instantly his head was being blocked and then pushed back down. He gave in because fighting to sit up didn't even sound nice right now. His head was already pounding again. "I was going to give you wiskers and they wouldn't let me." Kaminari pouted. Izuku raised a brow then laughed. It was so 'Kaminari' of Kaminari.

"See, he's not mad. He thinks it's funny too."

"I'll remember that the next time you fall asleep in the common room," he warns.

"Wait, dude, it was just a little harmless fun," Kaminari backs away, waving his hands in surrender, then winces and rubs at his stomach. He tries to sit up again and is stopped. "What happened, are you okay?"

"I kicked him." Uraraka grins. He can't see her face, but he can hear it.

"I was going to blast him, but I didn't want to make an explosion with you asleep." As Bakugou spoke his hands rubbed at Izuku's thighs, kneading like he was a cat trying to get comfortable again. "Kacchan, you can't blast your friends." He tries to scold, but ends up laughing as Bakugou tickles the inside of his knee by accident.

"You're all so mean."

"Bull, you're just an idiot." Mina scolds, pulling the static hero away from the possible range of injury.

"It's not fair!" He exclaims, pouting again as he takes his place back in his chair.

"The hell you mean it's not fair?" Bakugou growls and squeezes Izuku's thighs a bit tighter. He wasn't going to complain, though, it felt good. It was so familiar to being in the dorms. People around, the back and forth of Katsuki and his friends, Uraraka close. He was embarassed to admit he'd missed them, but he had.

"It's three against one. You guys always team up." Mina explains.

"Like I said, not fair."

"Bullshit, we do not team up."

"I think this is where I call bullshit." Todoroki appears, taking his place on his chair again as well. Some odd feeling started to creep into his gut. Izuku looks around, trying to figure out what's causing his senses to pick up on danger. At the same time he feels Uraraka stiffening. Her legs prep for fight of flight. He looks up at her and sees her staring down Todoroki. "I have to call it as well, sorry, bro." Katsuki's finger went limp. Izuku darted his eyes to him to find him gaping at the redhead. Working around his headache, he's trying to put the pieces together.

"We're sorry, but this wasn't about coming to see you, today. This." Mina pauses then seems to gather her courage. "This is an intervention."

Izuku blinks at her. Intervention? That made no sense. None of them were on drugs or anything crazy. What could they possibly have an intervention for?

"You told them?" Two voices asked two different people.

"Didn't have to tell them. We all know, have known for a while now." Kirishima stares down Bakugou. Todoroki remains silent but nods to Uraraka.

"Know what?" He asks.

"That you're all air heads who can't figure out you all like each other." Mina sighs as if she was disappointed.


	10. Chapter 10

For the millionth time in her life since she'd first put on weight, she scolded herself for it. Just going back up the stairs with her sack filled with sodas for the children had winded her. She was, mildly shamefully, used to it, but it was still annoying. Perhaps she should start exersicing more, or stop making sweets anytime she has people over, apparently. In hope to save face infront of Izuku's friends she took just a moment to catch her breath.

Opening the door to her home, she expected to find the kids still being kids. She'd trusted Izuku and Katsuki to keep the others in check when she left. If anything got out of hand, she believed she could count on Uraraka, too. So the defeaning silence was more worrying than anything else. "'Zuku?" Shuffling her way out of the hall after stepping out of her shoes, she witnessed her son _jump_ from the couch and then sway on his feet. "Mom!" He gulped, flipping his head her way. Any color that was on his face, which seemed oddly warm from as of late, drained.

Uraraka jumped up next, followed closely by Katsuki. The young man next to her son wouldn't look at her. "We're going to his room!" The shout throws her because Katsuki hasn't raised his voice in her home, at least out of the blue like that, since he was seven. "And we were just leaving, sorry!" Mina also shouts, grabbing Kaminari by the collar. Katsuki, in a moment that will forever have her jaw on the floor, scoops her son up in his arms and stomps across her living room. Uraraka followed after them with a small bow and an apology.

The other four kids all seemed to nearly run out of her house. She had no idea what was going on.

*)O(*

"Gonna puke!" Izuku warns, pushing out of Katsuki's arms to get to his trashcan. Uraraka shuts the door behind her and leans on it, just to make sure that noone follows them in. She grimaces as Izuku begins to puke. "Fuck, Izuku, I forgot, I'm sorry." Bakugou crouches down next to him and starts to rub and pat at his back. Even from where she stands it looks awkward. Familiar with the issue herself, she waits till he seems to be done before asking, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just got dizzy, sorry."

"Nerd, it's not your fault."

"I was the one who stood up."

"And I picked you up."

"Yeah, but-"

"You two are fucking adorable," she huffs as she finally moves from the door.

Emerald and Ruby land on her, then look at each other before they both look down. A bit of fear rose up, but knowing what she knew made it easier to swallow. "I like you, both. A lot."

Silence.

"I like you both, too." Izuku grins even as he wipes at his mouth which is stuck somewhere between an awkward smile and a grimace at the residual taste in his mouth.

"Fuck." Katsuki groans and pulls at his hair. "I like you, too. Goddamn!" The blond keeps pulling at his hair and she's starting get worried, it looks like the beginning signs of a panic attack for a moment. "I like you two so much it was giving me a fucking ulcer! I thought-" The pained way he cuts himself off has her heart lurching into her throat. She feels the draw, the need, to get close, to comfort.

"That it was just the other two?" She asks with empathy. His nod is all-telling. Her legs take her the few feet towards them and she sits down so they won't have to move. It's silent for a few moments as they each process more. Then, from somewhere infinately deep in side of her, it's there. There's something swelling inside of her chest. Relief, happiness, and excitement that's tempered with an odd feeling of being calm. Fear is being pushed away and she knows, without a doubt that it's hope that she's feeling. Hope for her them. Hope for her heart.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Each repeated word grew softer; Katsuki seemed to grow softer. His fingers then arms relaxed, until he was just staring between her and Izuku. A chuckle has her looking to Izuku. "I have to agree with Kacchan," he smiles. "So, Uraraka, Kacchan, would you like to go out with me?"

"Only if I also get to date her." Katsuki grins widely. Their eyes are on her again. "What do you say, Ochako?" There's a smugness in his voice, but she'll let Katuski get away with it this time. Her lips break into a smile so wide that her cheeks protest her inner cheer. This is all that she's wanted from the two of them for so long now. If she wakes up from a dream soon, then she'll strangle someone.

She's falling from that razorwire into a safety net of potential happiness. There's only one answer she could ever give them.

"Yes!"

*)O(*

"Damn straight," he boasts. Then, because he has no idea how to handle everything that is trying to burst out of him, he turns to Izuku. "Your window still faces that empty backyard?"

"Huh? Y-Yeah?"

"Great."

He stands and throws the window open. As slowly as he can, he crackles then combusts the sweat that had gathered on his hands. It feels _good _to just _let out_ some of his emotions this way. He keeps an eye on the size of his fireball, careful not to let it get too big, or make too much noise. It only lasts for a few moments, but it gives him time to process.

When he turns back around he notices that Uraraka had moved Izuku to his bed already, and they were watching him. Their voices, no longer drowned out by the noise of his sustained explosion, float to him. "-kids mostly, it's like meditation for him."

Uraraka rolls her eyes, but nods. "Makes since."

"Alright, doesn't sound like you're talking shit about me, so I'll let that one pass," he gruffs, just to say something because what he wants to say it difficult. The idea is thick on his tongue, but if they were going to do this, these things needed to be spoken. "How are we going to do this? Do we have any rules?" He sits opposite them on the bed, away from the comfort they or the pillows could offer.

"It's just us three, no one else." Uraraka hardens. She almost reminds him of Kirishima for a moment. He'd smile but he might get punched for that right now. "Wait, Kacchan, grab one of my note books for me, please. I want to write this all down." He almost groans. Almost. The sound is right there at the back of his throat, but he can't do 's a familiar sense of warmth that sprouts instead. He loves this nerd, and this is just one of the things this nerd does. He stands and grabs what looks to be a newer notebook, a spare pen already clipped onto the front of it.

Uraraka's laugh makes his chest all tight and tingly again. "Deku, even now? You'll never change." There's a soft shoulder bump from her and they both blush. He just barely stops himself from clenching his chest because FUCK WAS THAT THE CUTEST SHIT EVER!

He stops just before the bed because something he hadn't ever considered before popped up in his mind.

He wasn't jealous of them. Not of them bumping shoulders, or liking each other, or the fact that they would be spending time without him, or anything really. Which didn't line up with how he'd felt up until now. He'd wanted them, all the time, to be with him. He wanted them for himself and for some reason the fact that they were now dating didn't bother him at all. He double checked himself, but found that he was fine with it. Even imagining them in different scenarios didn't cause him to feel that well known feeling of jealousy. Even more intimate things, like kissing didn't bother him. He dared not think of anything more risque at the moment or he'd singe Izuku's note book.

"OhmygodI'vewantedtodothisforsolongbutwasscarredsomeonewouldseeitandsaysomething." Izuku gushed, too fast for even his experienced ears to pick up on, as he handed over the item. There on the first page Izuku drew a large heart and quickly wrote their names inside of it. The nerd then had to take a moment to look at it and _squeal_ while fanning himself. "Sorry, but I've like you guys for a long time, and I've stopped myself I don't know how many times from doing that."

Katsuki couldn't stop the bubbling laugh that tore so soundly from his stomach, up his throat, and bounced off the walls. He covered his mouth with a hand, but it didn't stop. The feelings continued, and so did his laugh. The other two were looking at him like he was crazy. It didn't stop him from gasping for breath, his sides protesting this unusual outburst. When the other two joined in, it made him even giddier. It was Izuku proclaiming, "Stop, stop, can't laugh anymore, going to puke again." That made them finally quiet down.

*)O(*

He was dizzy again, but it was managable. His heart was swelling, so full it felt like it might burst. This smile on his face might never fade. He can't begin to articulate how hearing Katsuki laugh like that made him feel. Then there was the light and airy way Ochako had joined in. Everything was like a firehose trying to fill a teacup. He traces over the heart he'd drawn with his finger, feeling the small indentions on the paper that the pen had made.

"I'm going to stop calling you nerd and start calling you sap." Katsuki says warmly. Izuku looks up at him, confused. Then a thumb is wiping something wet away from his face. Oh, he's crying again. Quickly, he wipes at his face. "Sorry. Just, happy." He continues to smile and in return he get two large grins in response. "Okay," he says, trying to refocus himself. "What are some ground rules?" He puts down the first one. _Just the three of us._ He looks up at the other two. They're looking at him. He's looking at them. They look at each other. And he realizes that they can't really think of anything, same as him.

"We're going to have to tell the rest of our friends?" He tries.

"You really think Mina hasn't already told the whole school?" Katuki huffs.

"Something practical? Like... scheduling group dates?" Ochako asks. Izuku taps his pen against his chin. It would be a far stretch for them to all get the same night off, especially on a weekend. Even if they do have pretty good jobs set up for when they graduate, it's still going to be unlikely for them to have a weekend completely free for the first year or three. "Then we'll do it on a weekday, like Wednesday." Ochako chimes in and Izuku can't even find a hint of shame at knowing he'd been mumbling again. "Can't do Wednesday, that's the only night I can hang with Kirishima once we start working."

"Thursday?" Izuku asks. There are nods all around. "Lets do it on the second Thursday of the month becuase the first week is always full of paperwork." He writes it down when there's another round of nodding. "What else?" And again they're met with silence from each other. This is much more difficult than he thought it would be. So now all he has written down is: _Just the three of us_, and, _Group date nights on the second Thursday of the month._

"I want to-" Katsuki hesitates. Then he seems to put aside whatever it is that stopped him. "I would like it if I could put you two down as Emergency contacts, and I would like to be one of yours." There's a faint blush on his cheeks, that makes the scarlet of his eyes pop even more. Izuku is nearly transfixed on the sight, but find himself nodding enough that he's getting dizzy again. "I would really like that, too." Ochako is blushing as well, and Izuku feels like maybe he finally found a bad reason to go through with this. He loves them so much; he's just ever so slightly worried he might put more time into this (or is it _these,_ he'll figure that one out later) relationship than might be professionally correct for someone just starting their carreer, but he can't really care about that right now. Right now he's happy. Right now they're happy. It's as much as he can ask for.


End file.
